Keeper Of The Stars
by EraticMind
Summary: Summary: Her mother gave her a scroll signed in blood and bound with magic. Both a blessing and a curse. Years flew by and she soon became something that monsters, even demons, feared. Lucy Heartfilia – Keeper of the Stars. (Contains cussing) AU! Strong!Lucy (Slow burn fic)
1. Part One: Childhood

Summary: Her mother gave her a scroll signed in blood and bound with magic. Both a blessing and a curse. Years flew by and she soon became something that monsters, even demons, feared. Lucy Heartfilia – Keeper of the Stars.

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Keeper of the Stars

Part One: Childhood

Chapter One

She was five-years-old when her Mama taught her how to summon her first celestial spirit. Little Lucy was jumping up and down in happiness at the sight of the irate mermaid.

Sitting next to an open lake that was on the very outskirts of the Heartfilia Konzern, Layla looked at her best and oldest friend and daughter with pride in her eyes. She chuckled a little inside at the sight of the grumpy blue haired mermaid struggling, but failing, to keep her frown in place.

"Mama! Mama! Look, I did it! And I'm not even sleepy!" Lucy was beaming up at her mother and Aquarius as she did so.

"Well done, my beautiful little star, I expected no less from you." Layla smiled warmly at her daughter and giggled as Aquarius started lecturing Lucy about contracts and such.

"I told you brat! Don't interrupt my dates! Honestly, Layla…why did you have to have such an annoying brat?" Lucy just smiled as her mother and her second favourite person in the whole world were talking.

Lucy let out a large, loud yawn before climbing into her mother's lap 'I'm sleepy…' sending one last half sleepy smile at Aquarius before she letting herself be lulled to sleep by the sweet sound of the voices of her loved ones.

One a calming soft chime that almost sounded like she was singing with every word that was spoken and the other a husky voice that reminded Lucy of the beach they visited for her Mama's birthday.

"You haven't gone back?" Layla smiled down affectionately at her daughter though her question was aimed at the still present Mermaid.

"No, I figured I'd help the brat out by emptying her magical core. Enough for her to be able to replenish more and more." Aquarius moved closer to Layla and looked down at the sleeping child, feeling a warmth of affection flash in her chest before stubbornly stomping it out.

"Are you sure we should be training her so young, Layla? She's still only a child…" Aquarius looked to Layla in concern.

"I only have 2 years Aquarius…2 years left with my beautiful little girl. I hate that she won't be able to have a normal life but I need her to be strong…It's for the best that she starts now. While she's young." Layla's eyes filled up with unshed tears as she confided in Aquarius.

"I know Layla, I can only imagine how hard this must be for you and I want you know that I support you with every decision you decide to make." The gruff mermaid said softly as she floated lower and wrapped her arm around her previous master.

Layla let her tears fall and hugged her daughter closer to her body as she buried her head into the crook of the celestial spirits neck.

"I don't want to leave her here alone, Aquarius, but what else can I do?" Aquarius bowed her head in thought as she contemplated the words of her best friend.

"…I'm sorry." Aquarius felt her heart clench as the weight of Layla's words sunk in 'Only two years with Layla…that's not a long time…' She balled her right hand up into a fist and pulled the celestial mage into a tighter hug with her left arm as the blonde started to sniffle and cease her crying.

"I promise you Layla, I will always be there for the little brat. Always." Layla pulled back and looked at the celestial spirit in gratitude.

"Thank you, Aquarius."

Aquarius spared a smiled at her former summoner before disappearing back to the celestial world.

Layla continued to sit in the sun and run her fingers through her daughter's short blonde hair.

"I hope you know that I'll always love you, Lucky Lucy." Picking her daughter up and cradling her in her arms, she kissed her daughter's forehead and started walking back towards their home.

Lucy peeked a light brown eye open to look up at her mother before snuggling back into her tender bosom.

C.C.


	2. Part One: Chapter Two

Summary: Her mother gave her a scroll signed in blood and bound with magic. Both a blessing and a curse. Years flew by and she soon became something that monsters, even demons, feared. Lucy Heartfilia – Keeper of the Stars.

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Keeper of the Stars

Part One: Childhood

Chapter Two

Lucy had just turned six-years-old when she successfully summoned two celestial spirits at the same time.

They had sat in her mother's cosy study, practicing for weeks and weeks trying to summon more than one spirit at once.

Layla could feel her daughters magical core had grown quite a bit from when she had first started training her daughter in celestial magic.

Lucy could feel the magic tingle throughout her body and into her arms, down into the keys she had grasped in her two small hands.

"Mama, I-…"

Layla rushed to her daughter's side as she coughed a little and swayed on her feet as Cancer and Taurus disappeared back in to the celestial world "-did it."

The older blonde woman plucked the two keys from the tight grip her daughter had on them, placed the two keys on to a leather chord and placing the makeshift necklace around her daughter's neck.

Layla felt her heart twinge in guilt as she felt her daughters erratic heart beat as she placed two fingers on the young child's pulse. "Baby, I'm so sorry, I know this is hurting you but trust me sweetheart, it gets easier and easier each time. I promise."

She gently wiped the sweat off of the young blonde's forehead and lightly brushed her blonde hair back.

Lucy stirred awake at the feel of her mother's fingers running through her hair "I know Mama, I'm sorry I'm not strong enough…"

Lucy started to feel tears gather in her eyes but she bit her lip, choked back a sob and forced the moisture in her eyes not to fall. "I promise I'll get better at this Mama, I promise!"

She clenched her teeth together and balled her fists up as she recalled her failure of being unable to successfully hold two celestial spirit gates open "I'll make you proud Mama!"

Layla cupped her daughters face and kissed the furrow between her daughter's brows, lightly tilting her little head up to face hers as she knelt down and placed her forehead against her daughter's.

"Mama is already so proud of you, my little star. I love you so, so very much." Lucy looked, with love and awe, into the eyes of her mothers, the light brown turning to an amber colour as the flames roaring from the fireplace reflected in her eyes.

Layla stared back into the eyes, that were an exact replica of her own eyes, of her daughter. She felt her breath hitch as she saw the amount of adoration and love her beautiful baby held for her.

Layla suddenly became aware of the presence of her husband watching them from behind the glass window of her study door, as she hugged her daughter tightly before standing up and leading her over to her large armchair.

She sat down in the seat and pulled her daughter up on to her lap and began tell her tales about dragons and their hatchlings.

Lucy, still drowsy from her summoning attempts, laid her head on her mother's chest and listened as her mother told her tales of fire breathing dragons with just as fierce children.

She made sure to tuck her keys into her shirt and out of sight for she was aware of her father's presence as well and she knew how much her Papa hated magic.

Jude stood in the hallway a little while longer as he absorbed the image of his wife and child, trying to burn the loving image into his mind, before he turned and walked down the hallway and back to his office.

C.C.


	3. Part One: Chapter Three

Summary: Her mother gave her a scroll signed in blood and bound with magic. Both a blessing and a curse. Years flew by and she soon became something that monsters, even demons, feared. Lucy Heartfilia – Keeper of the Stars.

* * *

Keeper of the Stars

Part One: Childhood

Chapter Three

Not even a minute after midnight had passed on her seventh birthday, Lucy was roused from her slumber by her mother, wearing a cloak and placing her finger on her lips in a gesture of silence, before blearily blinking her eyes and trying to wake herself up.

"Mama? What are you doing? Are you going somewhere?" Layla affectionately rubbed her nose against her daughters before whispering to her as she picked her up, tucked Lucy to her chest and wrapped her large cloak around her daughter's shoulders and walking towards the door, down the hallway and out the back doors of the Heartfilia mansion.

"Lucy sweetie, Mama's giving you your birthday present early. It has to be at this hour because this is when our magic is at its peak, sweetie, do you understand?"

Layla rushed quickly through the house and out into the backyard leading to the forest, not once making a sound.

Newly turned seven-year-old Lucy barely nodded her head before snuggling into her mother's warmth.

Just as Layla got deep into the forest, she disappeared into a flash of golden light and reappeared a second later right next to the lake that she liked to use when either of them summoned Aquarius.

"Wake up, my little star." Lucy stirred from her light sleep and opened her eyes as he mother set her down on her feet.

"Mama? Why're we out here?" Lucy rubbed the sleep from her eyes with one hand and brought a tiny fist up to cover up her yawn with the other hand.

Layla felt her heart melt at the sight and instead of answering, she spread her right arm out and summoned a magic circle.

Lucy's eyes widened in awe and amazement at the sight her of her mother.

With the moon hanging high in the sky, and stars shining brightly above her mother, Lucy believed that her beautiful mother was an angel descending from the heavens as she glowed a faint gold and the magic circle formed by her hand was shimmering with what could only be celestial magic.

The little blonde prayed that one day she would be as beautiful and powerful as the older blonde before her was. Layla really was Lucy's biggest hero.

Layla summoned a large scroll with intricate designs on it, into her hand and a ritual knife with a curved blade and a black and gold hilt that, to Lucy, was covered in pretty swirls and stars.

"Lucy. This is a very important contract, handed down from generation to generation of the Heartfilia Clan. The Sacred Celestial Scroll." The older celestial mage gestured with her left hand that held the large scroll.

"And this, my little star, is a Celestial Ritual Blade." Layla placed the scroll into the arms of her daughter, the large scroll nearly dwarfing the seven-year-old's frame.

Lucy tried not to frown as asked her mother if that was her birthday present. "Mama? Are these for me?"

"Yes, my sweet. Under normal circumstances, you would have received this on your sixteenth birthday, howev-" with a frown and a little cough in an attempt to cover up her mishap, Layla cut herself off before she could reveal too much.

"Never mind that. I'm giving it to you early because only the previous carrier of this contract can pass it on to her legacy. Are you following me, little star?" With a scrunched up face, the little blonde girl nodded determinedly to her mother and tightened her hold on the large scroll.

"Yes Mama, I follow." Though if she was being honest, she kind of wasn't, but she didn't want to disappoint or frustrate her mother.

She knew all too well about being a disappointment what with how her father would get frustrated with her when she didn't understand his big business words and numbers.

C.C.


	4. Part One: Chapter Four

Summary: Her mother gave her a scroll signed in blood and bound with magic. Both a blessing and a curse. Years flew by and she soon became something that monsters, even demons, feared. Lucy Heartfilia – Keeper of the Stars.

* * *

Keeper of the Stars

Part One: Childhood

Chapter Four

Layla smiled faintly at her daughter and was a bit saddened to know that though her daughter wouldn't understand her words now, her little star's heart would break when she did finally understand what her mother was implying.

"Well then. This scroll was given to me by my mother and unto her by her mother and so on, so forth. Right now, I am your mother and you are my daughter." Lucy nodded at her mother's words though she was still a bit confused.

"My little star, I am gifting this sacred scroll to you. However, in order for you to become its appropriate owner, there are a couple things you have to do." Lucy's eyes widened in surprise at her mother's words.

"Oh, Mama, what is it?" Layla chuckled at the eager expression on her daughter's face.

"Little star, you need to focus on pushing your magic into the large scroll as if you were summoning one of our friends from the spirit world." Lucy frowned in confusion before closing her eyes in concentration and focusing her magical energy from her core, through her arms and hands and into the large scroll she was struggling to carry.

Layla felt her eyes tear up with pride as she watched her beautiful young daughter glow with celestial magic for the sight of little Lucy was truly one to behold.

A seven-year-old to be able to channel that much magic through her little body was truly astonishing.

As Lucy started to sweat with perspiration, the scroll shot up from her arms and floated in the air as it unfurled in front of the young blonde.

Lucy stared up, wide-eyed, at the scroll in front of her and the majestic scenery in the sky above them, and started to feel her body.

Layla looked up at the sky and smiled at the northern lights that had been cast in the sky by the opening of the sacred scroll.

She could feel the power of the stars thrum through her flesh, through her bones and deep into her soul and she relished in it, eyes shut with pride, because she could feel her daughter's aura throughout the night sky.

As Lucy stared hypnotized at the scroll in front of it when she noticed that the words on the scroll were written in, ' _Is that blood?'_ , and the language of the Celestial World.

She noticed the language written on the scroll as the language her mother often spoke to her in private, and the very same one that the books she studied from the celestial world were written in.

 _Hec convencio facta est inter hominem caelestem Regem x357 1 Julii anno, ut jam " Contractor " Heartfilia Anna et deinceps ut " dominum "_

 _Spiritus et numina non sunt de testamento Heartfilia Gens male tractati, ut Anna Heartfilia desinam._

 _Current et custos semper oportet transire legati de numina._

 _Non dimiserunt adinventiones spiritus caelestes amet titulari nullo excepto, iniuriis affectus mentis et / vel physica abusum amet titulari mortem._

 _Spiritus est illis ne laederent numina custos, etsi non habent amet._

 _Necessitudinem inter Custodem et caelestes spiritus semper in bona fide._

Lucy's eyes widened significantly as she struggled to read what else was written on this contract that her mother had signed, as had her grandmother and her mother before her.

She could practically feel the power radiating from it and she felt herself unconsciously be drawn to it.

 **A/N: Alright so basically I wrote the contract in English then used Google Translate to translate it into Latin. I was going to pick French because I love that language but decided to use a Universal language that, in this world, most Earthlanders can't speak or understand.**

 **Contract translation: "** This agreement is made on the 1st of July year x357 between The Celestial Spirit King, henceforth known as "Contractor" and one Anna Heartfilia, henceforth known as "Owner"

The Spirits of the Celestial World are not to be ill-treated by any Legacy of the Heartfilia Clan, should Anna Heartfilia cease to exist.

The Current Keeper must always pass on the Legacy of the Celestial World.

The Celestial Spirits MUST NOT ABANDON their key holder under any circumstances with the exception of: Ill-treatment, emotional, mental and/or physical abuse, death of the key holder.

The spirits are not to harm the Keeper of the Celestial world, even if they do not hold their key.

The relationship between the Keeper and the Celestial Spirits must always be in good faith."


	5. Part One: Chapter Five

Summary: Her mother gave her a scroll signed in blood and bound with magic. Both a blessing and a curse. Years flew by and she soon became something that monsters, even demons, feared. Lucy Heartfilia – Keeper of the Stars.

* * *

Keeper of the Stars

Part One: Childhood

Chapter Five

Lucy tried to read more of it but her she felt her concentration was broken as her mother glided over to her side and lifted her right hand into her own and as her mother started talking, Lucy noticed, not for the first time, the light scarring that lead from her mother's right index finger to her palm and to the very top of her inner wrist.

"This, my sweet, is a very important contract, an heirloom if you may, of the Heartfilia Clan. It was originally written up as a contract between the great Celestial Spirit King and our ancestor, Anna Heartfilia." Layla gently rubbed her fingers into her daughter's open palm, feeling it's smoothness one last time, as she continued to explain to her daughter, her legacy, about the power that she would one day come to wield.

Lucy's eyes widened in fascination as her mother told her the tale of their ancestor, Anna Heartfilia, who singlehandedly wielded the power of the stars against the all-powerful and evil Acnologia.

Layla often told tales of dragons to her daughter, Lucy knew deep in her heart that they were real, but she never stopped to consider that the most vile, evil dragon, one was real as well, and in that moment, even though she was always fascinated by tales of the great Fire Dragon King, she sorely didn't want to believe that such evil, evil of the likes of Acnologia, had ever existed.

Never would she have imagined that she'd ever be that powerful, let alone as powerful as her wonderful Mama.

She barely registered the words of her mother until she felt her hand be let go and saw the golden magic flow from her mother's right hand, and into the scarring that took up majority of her right hand, and into the hilt of the ritual blade.

She stared, transfixed as the patterns on her mother's hand, glowed bright, in a sequence of stars, swirls and shimmering light.

Layla focused on the power in her hand and forced it to flow into the hilt of the blade and into the blade itself, lighting up to match the patterns that were on her hand.

"My sweet, I need you to be strong for me, okay pretty girl." Lucy stared at her mum in curiousity before slight fear welled up in her eyes as realization of her mother's words hit her.

"Mama…" Lucy tried to protest, but her mother hushed her and continued to explain the next steps after opening the scroll.

"As you can see, little star, every previous contractor has signed this particular contract in blood. And not just any blood, the blood that they need to use to sign the contract, without making it void, is blood that is infused with their own magic as well as the magic of their predecessor. Do you understand what this means, little star?" Lucy gulped and swallowed back her tears as her mother brought the glowing blade closer to her right hand and made a small but deep cut on her right index finger.

"You're so strong already my little star, I just want you to know that I am very proud of you and I will always be proud of you. Now, just like we practiced, I need you to write your name at the bottom of the scroll." Lucy felt a few stray tears leave her eyes, however she steadied her hand and wrote her name, right under her mother's name, in messy Celestial language.

Her eyes widened in fear and astonishment as her name, bright with her blood, pulsed brightly in gold magic before seemingly drying up and watched as the scroll snapped shut and flew into the air, pulsating northern-like-lights a few times before disappearing into a magical circle and leaving behind shimmery golden dust raining down on the two celestial mage's.

Lucy looked back down at her right hand. She could feel the power of the stars, burn its way down her index finger, through her palm and just into the tip of her inner wrist, before glowing bright a few times and then fading into a scar, just like the scarring on her mother's hand.

Layla smiled at the sight of her daughter glowing with magic with the golden dust of the celestial world showering down on her as if the very heavens themselves were giving the young blonde their blessing.

As she sent the ritual blade back into the celestial world, she crouched down to her daughter's height and pulled her into an embrace.

"Happy Birthday, my beautiful little star. I love you so much." Lucy, still thrumming with magic, couldn't help but feel the sadness that was thrumming in her mother's transferred magic.

"Mama? Please don't ever leave me…I can't help but think you've done this so early because…never mind. Just…please don't leave me Mama." Layla's eyes widened in surprise before she squeezed her eyes shut as she felt tears coming on.

She picked her daughter up and proceeded to walk back toward the mansion. "I promise, sweetheart. Mama will always be with you." She felt her heart clench with her words and her throat constrict painfully as she said so.

"I love you Mama." Lucy snuggled deep into her mother's shoulder and shut her eyes. Smiling as she saw the flash of gold light from behind closed lids, felt the faint aura of the celestial world around her, before seeing the flash of gold again and hearing her mother opening and closing the back door that lead to the inside of her home.

Lucy felt safe and warm and fuzzy from the magic that was pulsating inside her and from the scent of her mother surrounding her. _'Best, but most painful, birthday present ever.'_

C.C.


	6. Part One: Chapter Six

Summary: Her mother gave her a scroll signed in blood and bound with magic. Both a blessing and a curse. Years flew by and she soon became something that monsters, even demons, feared. Lucy Heartfilia – Keeper of the Stars.

* * *

Keeper of the Stars

Part One: Childhood

Chapter Six

For the next few days, following her seventh birthday, Layla had been absent from the Heartfilia Mansion.

When Lucy would question her father about her mother's whereabouts, he'd give her a cold look before telling her to get back to her studies.

Lucy, hurt from her father's rebuttal and feeling sad about not seeing her mother since the early morning of her birthday, decided she'd run out to the lake, _'The tutors and servants will never think to find me there and hey, maybe I could Summon Aquarius and play with her 'til Mama gets back!'._

Content with her decision, Lucy made haste and ran down the hallway, dodging the maids that were walking up and down the large hallway leading from her father's office to the stairs, and ran towards the stairs, making it down the first half of them before coming to a complete stop and stiffening at the voices of her tutors, the very one's she was avoiding, coming up the stairs.

Thinking quickly, she climbed onto a low windowpane and tucked herself behind the large burgundy drapes that framed the large window, overlooking the backyard, and peeked from behind them, as she saw her two private tutors making their way upstairs and seeming to be in conversation.

A man, in a sharp business suit, with gelled back dark brown hair, and a permanent sneer on his face, was rolling one side of his moustache between pinched fingers as he was talking to his companion and fellow tutor.

"Honestly, that lovely Mrs Heartfilia is quite the sight for sore eyes, is she not? Jude is a lucky man to have such beauty for a wife!" The woman, with whom he was conversing with, huffed and flicked her bright red hair in his face and narrowed her bright blue eyes at him as she turned her nose up at him.

"Hmph. Lady Heartfilia is more than just a simple beauty, she's a powerful mage too! Her magic alone is more than enough to respect her, Mr. Tullius." The fiery red headed woman sniffed in disdain at the other tutor and gave a disapproving look at him from over the top of her glasses.

"Also, it's "Lady Heartfilia" to you, sir. You'd do well to remember that, Mr. Tullius." The woman turned on her heel and continued up the stairs at a faster pace, seemingly trying to create distance between herself and the cretin still standing alone on the stair case.

Mr. Tullius narrowed his eyes at the woman's back and sneered. " _Lady Heartfilia_ …tch. Powerful Mage? Hah. Women shouldn't wield magic. Especially a _Lady_ in her right. Absolutely despicable." The man snorted and muttered to himself. "Women should be seen, not heard." and Lucy, still hidden behind the drapes, forced herself not to get mad because then she would give away her position, but as she struggled to contain her anger at _that man's_ words, her magic flared violently.

Tullius, feeling the spike of magic himself, paused mid-step and took a look around the staircase and hall before huffing and continuing his walk up the stairs and to Jude's office.

The hairs on the back of his neck rose as Lucy glared at him from behind the drapes and he hurried his steps, breaking out into a fast paced walk.

Tullius had been raised to be a businessman, not a mage after all.

Lucy, still mad from the conversation she overheard, puffed her cheeks in anger and closed her eyes as she tried to even out her breathing. _In and out. In and out._ Just like her Mama taught her.

Bad things happened to her surroundings when she'd lose control of her temper and right now, she couldn't afford to break anything because she was on a mission to find her mother.

Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, Lucy took deep breaths and faintly felt her magic start to circulate throughout her body.

Feeling frustrated that she couldn't control her magic as well as she should have been able to also feeling helpless without her mama there to help her as well as the words of Mr. Tullius still circulating around in her head made her so very angry and tears sprung to her eyes and started to leak from between her tightly shut eyes.

' _I just wanted to see Mama! That's all I wanted! It's been days and papa won't tell me where she is! WHERE IS SHE?!'_

"I WANT MY MAMA~" Magic burst from her tiny body as she shouted in frustration.

A maid and the two tutors, hearing her shout, stared at each other before turning around and rushed back towards the stair case following the magnificent glow that began to pulse from that direction.

"Miss Lucy!" Spetto, Lucy's personal handmaiden and nanny, cried out and watched in horror as the bright glowing magic spread from the tiny heiress's body and coated the window, wall and stair case.

As Spetto tried to run towards her young charge, she was grabbed tightly by the arm and forced back by the fiery red- headed tutor.

"Miss Arcutures! Unhand me now!" But the maid was ignored and roughly shoved into Tullius as Arcutures swung her into him and leapt forward towards the, now screaming, little girl.

"GET BACK!" The red headed tutor yelled at Spetto and Tullius as the entire stair case glowed bright and pulsed.

Arcutures tried to call out to Lucy and calm the young maiden down but Lucy was stuck in a trance inside her mind.

 _All I wanted…was to get to the lake…I just want…my Mama…_

And with the vision of the lake firmly in her mind, Lucy's magic pulsed twice before the little girl vanished before the eyes of her maid and her two private tutors.

Thinking quickly, the red-headed woman ran towards the still glowing stairwell and knelt down to spread her palms out on the ground.

"Miss Arcutures! Please, get away from there!" Mr. Tullius went to grab at the red-headed woman but when she faced an open palm towards him, he froze in his spot.

"Get back, Tullius! I know what I'm doing!" Nodding and shaking in fear, he ran back towards the maids and gasped as the woman, Arcutures, _absorbed_ the magic through her palms and he watched, in awe as her bright red hair started to _float in the air_ and the golden glow of magic receded from the walls, window and stair case and into her hands.

Arcutures herself glowed bright gold before she felt the magic absorb into her own core and was amazed at the sheer amount of power that had come from such a tiny girl, accidental or otherwise.

' _Well, she certainly is a Heartfilia, that's for sure.'_ She thought to herself wryly before she stood up, fixed her hair into a bun and straightened out her outfit and turning towards the only two people present.

"It would do well to keep this from Lord Heartfilia." She narrowed her eyes at Spetto and Tullius as she finished dusting her hands off on her pants.

"W-What w-was… _that?!_ " Tullius screeched in a high pitched voice. Arcutures rolled her eyes at the shaking, man and sniffed as she noticed sweat rolled down his face.

She could practically smell the fear coming off of him.

"That, Mr. Tullius, was _magic_ at its purest form. Not necessarily unheard of, I assure you." Tullius stared at Arcutures with wide, fearful eyes, unable to speak after being exposed to such potent magic and seeing this beautiful young woman _absorb_ it like it was nothing.

He may not have been a mage himself, but even he knew that magic absorption was practically unheard of. Tullius looked at the red headed woman in awe as she fixed her glasses back on to her face as if she did things like that every day.

' _Heh, maybe she did?'_ he thought to himself before turning his attention back on the still talking woman in front him.

"As I said, Lady Heartfilia is a very powerful mage and it seems little Lady Lucy has inherited that very same power." She stared at Tullius hard before snorting at his pathetic attempt to straighten himself out and gain back what dignity he could.

' _Not that the fool had any dignity to begin with.'_ She snorted to herself in amusement.

"I highly advise that you keep what just happened between you and me, Mr. Tullius." And with that, she turned away from him without waiting for a response and walked away.

Tullius stood frozen as he registered the underlying threat in her words before shuddering and following after her.

' _Well, it's a good thing Lord Heartfilia has his office room soundproofed otherwise, who knows what would have happened.'_ He shuddered to himself at the thought, as it was well known throughout the Heartfilia Konzern that Lord Heartfilia himself absolutely _detested_ the use of magic within his home.

C.C.


	7. Part One: Chapter Seven

Summary: Her mother gave her a scroll signed in blood and bound with magic. Both a blessing and a curse. Years flew by and she soon became something that monsters, even demons, feared. Lucy Heartfilia – Keeper of the Stars.

* * *

Keeper of the Stars

Part One: Childhood

Chapter Seven

When Lucy finally felt the tightness of her magic lessen, she opened her eyes and barely registered the grass underneath her feet as she passed out from exhaustion.

The residue magic receded from her body and her last thoughts, before she shut her eyes, were of her mother.

' _Mama…?'_

A slender pair of hands reached out towards Lucy and picked her up before she could hit the ground.

"Oh, my little star. I'm so sorry." Layla, exhausted and looking faintly ill, kneeled on the ground and hugged her daughter tightly to her chest.

Layla pulled back and took a look at Lucy's sleeping face and could see the slight darkness around her eyes, indicating that she had not been sleeping well the last few days.

Sighing aloud, the elder blonde cradled her daughter to herself and lowered herself to the ground, resting on the soft grass and closing her eyes to let the midday sun shine down on herself and her daughter, sighing contently as the warmth from the sun's rays washed over the pair.

Layla felt guilt course throughout her because she knew that Lucy would have been up waiting all night for her mother to tuck her in to bed with a story, but she had told Jude she had important business to take care of.

Layla opened her eyes and exasperatedly blew a stray piece of hair out of her face and rolled her eyes at the notion of her husband not bothering to inform their daughter of her whereabouts, if she knew him well enough, which she did, she knew that without a doubt he'd have chosen these past few days to attempt to get their daughters focus off of magic and on to business study.

They often argued about the future of their daughter, Layla wanted to Lucy to know her magical roots whereas Jude wanted Lucy to forgo them in favour of running the family business.

They had tried, years before, to have more children but

It wasn't her intention for her expedition to take so long, but things happened and, feeling the pressure of running out of time, Layla had had to make a very important decision.

She just hoped her husband and daughter forgave her and grimaced at the thought knowing that Jude was very stubborn and Lucy just as much.

She stressed the importance of her quest to her husband, and though she knew that Jude had never ever supported her use of magic and went as far as to attempt to ban her from completing and fulfilling the requirements laid out for the Heartfilia Celestial mages, she still loved him.

Despite feeling the rift in the marriage broaden over the years, getting worse when she had started teaching their daughter and only child, all about celestial magic and what it meant to be a celestial wizard, she still had hope for her husband.

She still held hope in her heart that one day, her husband would open his eyes and heart to the wonders of magic.

' _But for now…'_ She thought _'I'll just take a little nap…'_ And with that, Layla drifted off to sleep, the sweet scent of her daughter mingling with the faint ashy dragon smoke that wafted off of her clothe, lulled her to sleep.

And together, the mother and daughter duo rested beneath the sun and beside the lake, that had over the years become a sanctuary for the two.

C.C.

 **A/N: Thank you all for adding this story to your favourites and follows. I'd just like to let you all know that I won't be posting A/N's unless I absolutely have to and that each chapter I post is done so randomly. If you have any questions as to where this story is going or if you're confused about one thing or another, feel free to leave a review or pm me. Thanks!**


	8. Part One: Chapter Eight

Keeper of the Stars

Part One: Childhood

Chapter Eight

Aquarius smiled at the sight of her best friend and her daughter napping on the grass near the lake. She had opened her own gate after Layla had fallen asleep curled up around Lucy.

Her smile turned sad as she analysed the older blonde's clothing.

It had been a long time since Aquarius had last seen her best friend dressed for battle.

Black sleeveless turtle neck shirt tucked into tight black cargo pants tucked into light weight combat boots, Aquarius snorted in amusement at the mental comparison of the Layla in front of her compared to the Layla the humans usually saw.

She looked battle-worn, the smell dragon smoke wafted off of her and her clothing was torn in some places.

Layla had dirt marring her face and bloodied knuckles, at the sight, Aquarius grimaced as she had flashbacks to the battles that they had been previously engaged in and flexed her still aching arms.

The mermaid was still recovering from the past few days herself, most of the celestial world was, but she had forced herself through her gates as she felt Lucy's magic spike dangerously high.

' _Tch, little brat.'_ Aquarius rolled her eyes at the thought and her attention darted back over to her two resting companions as the elder of the two started coughing.

It had been a long time since she had seen Layla this exhausted.

An even longer time since she had seen the elder blonde celestial spirit that sickly too.

When Aquarius took notice of the blood dribbling from Layla's lips, her eyes grew wide and she quickly, mentally, called for Virgo to join her on Earthland.

"Virgo! We need to get her inside immediately!" Nodding at the mermaid's words, Virgo gently separated Layla from Lucy, waking the young girl up in the process, before she took off in a sprint towards to mansion trying not to jostle the woman in her arms.

"V-Virgo? What are you- Mama? Mama?!" Lucy blearily rubbed her eyes before the scene before her registered in her brain.

"Virgo! What's wrong with Mama?! Where are you taking her! No, come back! Mama!" Lucy howled and chased after the celestial spirit that had picked her mother up into her arms before she felt herself get picked up.

"No! Put me down! I want my Mama!" Kicking and screaming, Lucy tried to pry the arms from around her midsection, but the arms holding her only tightened.

"Quiet down, brat, you're too distraught to see your mother right now, calm down alright! I'll carry you there, we'll get to the mansion faster!" Lucy froze at the voice of the celestial spirit carrying her.

"A-Aquarius?...what's wrong with mama? W-why wasn't she waking up?..." Aquarius cringed as she felt the young blonde turn in her arms and bury her head into the crook of her shoulder.

"Your mother is…Layla's not…She's not feeling well, brat…" The bluenette cringed as she felt Lucy start to shake and cry in her arms.

She started floating towards the mansion with little Lucy cradled in her arms.

"Aquarius…I'm scared…I ran away today and papa is going to be even more angry at me but-but all I wanted was Mama a-and p-papa got mad at me and so I ran but then I heard that mean old man Mr. Tullius saying things about Mama in a meany voice and-and I got a-angry a-and c-couldn't c-control m-my-" The young mage babbled through her tears, trying to choke down the lump in her throat.

Aquarius' annoyed faced softened as the child in her arms sobbed, before her gaze hardened again as she registered Lucy's words _'Tullius? Her shitty perverted tutor?'_

"Tch, listen here brat because I'm only going to say this to you once. Harden. Up. The world is a shitty place filled with shitty people who are going to say and do shitty things to you." Aquarius' eyes narrowed as Jude flashed in her mind's eye _'Shitty fucking human.'_

Lucy's eyes widened at the mermaid's choice of words and, despite herself, she let out a little giggle.

"But, it's also filled with beauty and kindness, grace and happiness, which I actually believe comes in the form of Layla. Now, you know in your heart just what type of person your mother is, don't you?" Lucy felt Aquarius tighten her hold on her throughout her little pep talk and she nodded her head at the question.

"Good, because I know it, you know it and you can guarantee that everyone back home in the celestial world sure as hell knows it too! Never, ever forget that brat. Don't ever let the words of scum, much less scum like Tullius, get the best of you, twerp." Lucy's eyes were wide with admiration as she processed Aquarius' words.

She felt determination burn in her chest as she recalled every word that Aquarius had said.

"As for your father, well. I can't help you there, kiddo. But, as much as it pains me to admit this, you will always have….me. No matter how annoying you are." Aquarius' face burned pink at the admission before she held the blonde even tighter and, not wanting to hear a reply, floated even faster towards the mansions.

Lucy clung to Aquarius as the mermaid sped up towards the mansion and smiled, because it seemed that no matter how annoyed Aquarius got at her, she did love the little blonde.

Aquarius didn't even have to say it, for Lucy could feel it in her words, and her little aching heart was soothed by them.

Right then and there, seven-year-old Lucy decided that even if her Papa didn't love her, someone besides her Mama did.

And that was enough for her.

For now, at least.

C.C.

 **A/N: Sorry guys, here's another one. Just want to say that there will be swearing in this story, a lot more often from here on out, and if cussing offends you then you might want to stop here. Thanks!**


	9. Part One: Chapter Nine

Summary: Her mother gave her a scroll signed in blood and bound with magic. Both a blessing and a curse. Years flew by and she soon became something that monsters, even demons, feared. Lucy Heartfilia – Keeper of the Stars.

* * *

Keeper of the Stars

Part One: Childhood

Chapter Nine

By the time Lucy and Aquarius had arrived at the mansion, Virgo had already dressed and cleaned Layla's wounds.

The entire mansion was in a panicked bustle with maids carrying towels and bowls of warm water towards the Lord and Lady's room, and butlers using a variety of communication lacrimas trying to get into contact with doctors and nurses.

Aquarius put Lucy down as she eyed the red-headed woman ordering the servants of the household around.

"You! Calm the hell down! Your freaking out is helping nobody! We need to find the heiress and make sure she's safe!" Arcutures shouted at several maids who had done nothing but cry and panic since seeing the sight of their beloved Lady Heartfilia.

"Oi. Arcutures. The brat's right here." Aquarius narrowed her eyes at the red-headed woman, the underlying _Why the fuck weren't you with her_ being left unsaid by her mouth but made clear by her narrowed eyes.

Arcutures took one look at Lucy, analysing her features and noticing the tear tracks that had dried up on her face, before turning and narrowing her eyes right back at the mermaid.

"She…disappeared a couple minutes before her father left the Konzern on a business trip." ' _I was certain that she hadn't gotten far, I was sending off her father before I was going to find her.'_ Aquarius scoffed at the reply and rolled her eyes as she muttered about one less nuisance to worry about.

"Hello Miss Lucy, I don't believe we have met. My name is Arcutures. Arcutures Black. I believe I am to be one of your tutors?" Arcutures knelt down before Lucy and extended her left hand forward in the gesture of a handshake.

"H-Hello, Miss Arcutures. It's a pleasure to meet you." Lucy curtsied before grabbing a hold of the hand in front of her, jumping in shock as she felt a brief pulse of magic tickle the insides of her hand.

"The pleasure is all mine, young miss. And please, call me Arc." Lucy's eyes widened and she giggled as Arcutures winked at her, knowing she had to have been the reason behind her still tingling hand.

Aquarius, ignored the exchange before her, and set her sights on the sneering tutor Tullius and waited.

Slowly, as though he could feel the weight of her stare, Tullius turned his gaze from the young red-headed woman and blonde child in front of him, to the burning sensation that a pair of narrow blue eyes left on his skin.

As Aquarius locked eyes with human man before her, she narrowed her gaze and flared her magic, threateningly.

Tullius, a grown man well within his own rights, had gotten scared shitless at the sight of the furious mermaid staring him down.

He felt her gaze penetrate him and, as if she was stripping his skin from his flesh, his flesh from his bone, he damn near wet himself in fear.

"…Tch." Aquarius' upper lip curled at the sight of the pathetic excuse of a man and she sneered as he turned tail and ran like a dog with its tail between his legs.

' _Pathetic, fucking human.'_ Aquarius caught the gaze of Arcutures and raised an eyebrow in question but the red-head, who had felt the magical flare and what could only be _killing intent_ , chuckled in response.

"Come with me, Miss Lucy, I can take you to your mother. I'm sorry but Lord Heartfilia has left the Konzern on business and has said he won't be in until tomorrow." Lucy frowned lightly at the mention of her father but quickly recovered and grabbed at Arcutures' hand.

"Okay, thank you Miss Arc." Arcutures smiled at the little girl and gently led her towards the very stair case that the young girl had almost blown up earlier that day.

"Um, aren't you coming with us Aquarius?" Lucy paused mid-step, as did Arcutures, as she turned her head and tilted it inquiringly at the floating celestial spirit.

"Tch. Just get a move on, brat." The blue-haired mermaid rolled her eyes and disappeared in a shimmer of gold.

"Hmph. She always was one for dramatics." Arcutures muttered as she adjusted her glasses with her empty hand.

"Yeah, but that's just Aquarius! That's just how she is." Lucy smiled big at Arcutures and giggled at the thought of the dramatic, temperamental celestial spirit.

"Hey! What the hell are you all still doing standing there?! Scram!" The fiery red-head shouted at the servants loitering about the hallways, flushing slightly as little Lucy giggled at the sight of the usually stoic servants, frantically running away from the angry woman holding her hand.

"Say, Miss Arc?" Lucy lightly squeezed the woman's hand, trying to get her attention.

"Um, I know I'm not supposed to blow things up, but sometimes it just happens when I uh lose control of my um magic and…well…I noticed you and Mr. Tullius walking up the staircase earlier today and so I hid on the windowpane, behind the drapes and…well…oh, um. Never mind." Lucy trailed off but at the gentle squeeze and encouraging nudge from the older woman, she took a deep breath and continued on.

"Well, Mr. Tullius was being a big fat meanie, and I was really sad and angry but all I wanted was Mama, and um Mr. Tullius, he made me even more sad and angry with his meanie voice and words and well uh…I um…I was wondering…um…" Understanding took over Arcutures face as Lucy spoke of Tullius.

' _Well, that explains why the mermaid was pissed at the pitiful fool.'_ Arcutures mentally snorted at the thought but raised an eyebrow questioningly as Lucy had stopped and stood stock still at the middle of the staircase and stared out the window, quietly finishing off her sentence.

"How…is this side of the house not…all…wrecked? I've gotten pretty upset before, when mama wasn't around, and I made papa angry. I…accidentally blew up the door to mama and papas room because I just…wanted to see her…papa was so mad, he called me…useless. He said magic was bad and horrible…and he…tried to stop me from using magic…" Arcutures felt her blood boil as her eyes narrowed, listening to the young girl, she knew she didn't like the pompous fool for a reason.

But as she looked down at the young girl and squeezed her hand reassuringly, she was disheartened to see that Lucy was biting her lip rather harshly, not to mention Arcutures didn't like the tone of the young girl's voice, it almost sounded like…

' _Self-hatred? And she made her papa angry? Who claims that magic is bad? Fucking pompous fool!'_ Blue eyes narrowed even more at the thought of Jude Heartfilia and his ridiculous beliefs on magic and before she knew it, she was kneeling down on the ground, tilting the chin of the child in front of hers up so that they could lock eyes.

"Miss Lucy, let me share something with you." Arcutures could feel her heart stutter at the bright brown doe eyes of little Lucy Heartfilia.

' _It's far too early to tell her…however, I can reassure her.'_ Thinking determinedly to herself, Arcutures took a deep breath and spoke to Lucy with as much earnest as she could muster.

"Magic, is the most beautiful thing in the world that somebody can have. Magic is like…freedom for your soul. Sort of. Now, don't listen to your father's foolish ideologies about magic, okay? Because you are strong, and powerful, and _magical._ So don't let anyone, not me, not Tullius and most certainly not your father, tell you otherwise. _"_ Lucy's eyes grew wide at every word spoken to her and she briefly felt so incredibly…warm.

"Yes, it can be destructive, but it can also be healing too. The way you _intentionally_ wield your magic is what matters most. And who says destruction is a bad thing, huh?" Arcutures chuckled at the thought.

That's twice today that somebody, other than her mother and Spetto, had gone out of their way to reassure the young girl and so Lucy smiled, because even though she didn't have friends, and even though she felt like her father hated her, she could tell that she wasn't alone because now she had Miss Arcutures to add to her list that only previously consisted of hers and her mamas celestial spirits.

"That's actually why I'm here, Miss Lucy. Lady Heartfilia herself… _asked_ me to…educate you. Of sorts. On Magic. More specifically, celestial magic." And as soon as the words ' _celestial magic'_ left Arcutures mouth, Lucy's eyes lit up in anticipation and excitement.

Lucy started to hum and literally bounce on the balls of her feet and Arcutures smiled in amusement at the sight of the excited young girl.

"And as for this stair case still being in one piece? I'll let you in on a little secret." Arcutures smirked at the young girl and cupped her hands between them.

"My magic, is a special magic, that can only be used on Celestial Magic." She pulsed magic into her hands and created an orb of soft glowing light.

"I can absorb any kind of Celestial Magic and lock it away inside a container inside me to be used at a later date or sometimes not even at all! I absorbed your raw magical energy just in time before things went…well…boom!" As Arcutures said that, the small orb in her hands flew into the air, formed a five pointed star and popped into miniature fireworks above them.

"Do you see what I mean about magic being absolutely beautiful, Miss Lucy?" Lucy laughed joyfully as the magic residue fluttered around her like glitter.

"Uh-huh, Miss Arc! I hope one day I can do pretty things like that!" Arcutures laughed at the young girl, affectionately ruffling her hair as she did so.

"I'm sure one day you will. Now, come along Miss Lucy, I'm certain your mother is feeling better by now." At the mention of her mother, Lucy quieted down and grabbed a hold of her tutor's hand again.

"Thank you…Miss Arcutures." Lucy smiled a dimpled smile up at her tutor who smiled back at her.

"Anytime, Miss Lucy. Anytime." Squeezing her hand gently, the red-headed woman led the young girl down the hallways.

Together they walked, hand in hand, with smiles on their faces and light in their hearts.

But it wouldn't last for long and as they made their way down the hallway and towards the healing room, Arcutures couldn't help but shake the feeling that this was only the calm before the storm.

C.C.


	10. Part One: Chapter Ten

Summary: Her mother gave her a scroll signed in blood and bound with magic. Both a blessing and a curse. Years flew by and she soon became something that monsters, even demons, feared. Lucy Heartfilia – Keeper of the Stars.

Keeper of the Stars

Part One: Childhood

Chapter Ten

When Arcutures had led Lucy to the room in which Virgo had taken Layla, Spetto, Lucy's personal maid intersected them before they could enter.

"I'm sorry Miss Arcutures but Lady Heartfilia can't accept any visitors at this moment." Arcutures raised an eyebrow at the maid before nodding her head and peered down at Lucy.

"Mrs Spetto, I was merely escorting the young miss here, you see. I shall leave her in your care now then." Spetto grimly smiled at Arcutures before turning to the little blonde girl at her side and began to usher the child into her mother's room.

"Good day to you Miss Arcutures." Spetto bowed her head at the red headed woman who in turn nodded back at her.

Arcutures turned and began to walk away just as Lucy turned to smile big and bright at the woman.

"It was great meeting you, Miss Arc!" Arcutures felt her gaze soften at the sight of the bright child and she smiled back at Lucy.

"It was my pleasure, Miss Lucy." And with a wink, Arcutures disappeared in a shimmer of light, startling Spetto and making Lucy giggle in surprise 'I knew Miss Arc was special, just like Aquarius and them!'

"Come now, young Miss, your mother awaits you…" Spetto opened the door and ushered little Lucy inside the darkened room before she opened the door again and showed herself out, knowing that the Matriarch had wanted to spend her last moments alone with her daughter and husband.

' _It's a shame…a damn shame indeed.'_ Spetto thought to herself as she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, sending one last glance over her shoulder as Lucy made her way to her bedridden mother. _'I pray to the Gods above that they allow Missus Layla to get better…despite all odds…'_ Sniffling quietly, Spetto closed the door as gently as she could.

Hearing the door click shut, Spetto couldn't hold herself together anymore and found herself sitting on the ground, as a torrent of tears flowed down her face _'No, I mustn't cry, there is still hope left! I'm sure of it…I better check on the rest of the household to see if they've gotten a hole of Master Heartfilia…I fear his reaction should he come home too late…'_

And with that thought in mind, Spetto stood up and straightened her uniform, wiped her face and marched on towards the lower levels of the house, setting out to complete her own little personal mission.

When Miss Spetto had left Lucy in the room, her previous happy mood had vanished when she noticed the multiple floating lacrimas, each a different colour, above the bed that had been placed near a pair of open side doors that led out to a balcony.

When Lucy caught sight of the Celestial Spirits on either side of her mother's bed, her heart jumped in excitement before quickly stuttering to a stop at the solemn silence that hung thick in the air.

' _That's unusual…Normally everyone is rowdy and-and…happy…'_ At that thought, Lucy noticed the distinct smell of blood in the air.

The closer Lucy got to the figure lying in the bed, the stronger the scent of blood got in the air. A sharp, piercing scent that she'd never ever forget, sparked fear in her little heart and as she realized that, she also realized that none of the celestial spirits were hurt so that only left…

"M-Mama…?" Fear gripped Lucy's heart so tight she thought she might suffocate.

"L-Lucy…" her mother's voice called weakly from the bed.

The rooms occupants turned to face the child as her eyes perked up and her pace quickened towards the bed.

"Mistress! You should be resting right now, please! Don't speak!" Virgo exclaimed as Layla fought to sit up in order to see her daughter.

"P-Please, Vi-Virgo…I just…want to _*ack!*…_ see my daughter… _*coughcough*…_ One last time…" The pink haired celestial spirit nodded reluctantly and helped the sickly woman to sit in a better position and indicating to her fellow celestial spirits to give the pair some privacy.

"Mama…? What's…what's wrong Mama?" Lucy's eyes started to water as she stopped at the foot of her mother's bed and finally took in the sight that was Layla Heartfilia.

The young girl felt her heart clench at the sight of her beloved mother looking so slim and frail, a complete contrast to how the woman had looked only an hour or so prior.

"Layla…" Aquarius, the only celestial spirit remaining in the room, seeing Layla attempt to move but struggling to do so, quickly grabbed her best friend by the shoulders and stopped her from moving closer to Lucy.

"Tch, get over here brat." Lucy barely registered Aquarius' presence as she quickly scrambled up and on to her mother's bed.

Crawling forward, carefully so not to jostle her sickly mother, Lucy's breath hitched in her throat and her vision started to blur as tears filled her eyes.

She could clearly see that her mother was pale, clammy and shivering. Even young Lucy could tell that something was severely wrong with her mother.

"Mama? Do you ha-have a f-fever? Be-Because _*sniff*_ Sp-Spetto ca-can make y-you some ch-chicken soup! And it'll ma-make y-you all be-better! _*sniffle*_ I promise!" Lucy rested her forehead against her mother's, in reminiscent of the way Layla would lay her own forehead against Lucy's whenever the child was sick with fever herself, as she blurted out her rushed words.

Aquarius only watched in silence as she could feel her own heart twinge at the childish words before she too, quietly dismissed herself from the room, deciding to give the mother and daughter some privacy.

Though if she was honest with herself, she'd admit that she wouldn't have been able to hold her tears at bay, and so she left, back to the celestial world to seek comfort from her beloved Scorpio.

Neither mother nor daughter took any notice of the mermaid leaving.

"L-Lucy, baby," her mother spoke softly and Lucy flinched as she heard the scratchy voice of her mother "Listen." Layla continued.

Lucy nodded her head, eyes on her mother's in full attention.

"M-Mama is going t-to leave so-soon, little st-star" Layla wheezed slightly, gently nudging her daughter back as she laid back against the pillows behind her.

"Le-Leave? To where Mama? Why…?" Lucy wondered, worried that she had done something wrong.

"To _*ack! *_ he-heaven," Lucy's eyes widened at her words, she hadn't heard of this 'Heaven' place before.

"B-But before I g-go, you ha-have to d-do something f-for me…okay, my little st-star?" Lucy nodded her head in child innocence, unsure but willing to do anything her mother asked.

C.C.

 **A/N: Thank you to Mavis Senpai, safarikasolomon and especially IceHuntress for the kind reviews! I appreciate them, so much. Thank you to everyone else who have added this story to their favourites and following lists. Part One is almost complete, and I hope you enjoy the ride on the feels train.**


	11. Part One: Chapter Eleven

Summary: Her mother gave her a scroll signed in blood and bound with magic. Both a blessing and a curse. Years flew by and she soon became something that monsters, even demons, feared. Lucy Heartfilia – Keeper of the Stars.

Keeper of the Stars

Part One: Childhood

Chapter Eleven

"T-There's a k-key in the…in the be-bed side table," Layla wheezed. "T-Take it out, swe-sweetheart."

Lucy quickly went over to her mother's bedside table and slid it open. At first she didn't see it, and after looking at her, moved aside some of the papers in there and found a nice small golden key. She held it towards her mother curiously, and at her mother's nod, she smiled victoriously.

Layla returned the smile warmly. "N-Now, can you s-see that b-box?" Lucy looked over to the box on top of a high shelf. "L-Lucy, darling, ta-take it down for m-mama."

Afraid to climb so high, she looked worryingly at her mother but, at her mother's encouraging gaze and tired smile, Lucy nodded determinedly and quickly hopped off of the large bed and towards large shelf.

Climbing up the shelf carefully, she reached just below the box before being unable to climb any higher. Looking back at her mother, she put on a brave face and jumped.

In mid-air, she snatched the box off of the shelf and landed on the ground, jarring her elbow in the process.

Tears sprung to her eyes at the sudden sharp pain but she sucked in a breath and shook her arm out, not wanting to cry in front of her mother, not after that great accomplishment.

Lucy had always been afraid that one of these days, her mother would look at her the same way her father did now, always in disdain and disappointment, so she shook off the pain and swallowed back her tears.

Bravely, she went back to her mother with the chest and the key.

"Good" Layla breathed. "N-Now, little st-star, open it."

Lucy, with her small shaky hands, clumsily put the key into the slot and fumbled to get it open. At first, she couldn't get it and began to get so flustered she was fighting back tears.

Layla's hand on her head calmed her down enough for the child to get the small chest open.

Inside was a leather-bound journal. Her mother's journal. Lucy's eyes widened at the sight for she knew that her mother only wrote in the language of the celestial and that she treasured her journal so much that Lucy had only ever gotten a glance at it once or twice in her entire life.

"My swe-sweet. I give this t-to you, in ho-hopes that i-it will help y-you grow in-into _*coughcough*_ your full po-potential…" Layla smiled down at her daughter, pride swelling in her chest as she analysed her daughter's features.

Tears sprung to her eyes as she could slowly feel her magic deteriorating. Layla grabbed her daughters scarred right hand and placed it on top of the journal.

"Little st-star, r-remember to k-keep it h-hidden from everyone, al-alright? Even fr-from y-your f-father…" Layla wheezed. Lucy nodded and promised through teary eyes as watched her mother lay back down, seemingly using up the last of her energy with those words.

"M-Mama…Are you sick?" Lucy inquired, and she felt celestial magic current through the air, indicating the presence of a celestial spirit, but the young girl was much too preoccupied with staring at her mother with wide fearful eyes.

Layla smiled a bittersweet smile at her daughter, eyes full of pain and sadness, yet Lucy could still see, feel, the love in them.

"Lucy, my little star, I love you. I am proud of you, and I know you'll do great things…" Layla managed to say without interruption.

Lucy blushed at the compliments and smiled brightly at her mother though she felt, deep in her gut, that it wasn't a good sign.

"I kn-know you'll pr-protect…our celestial friends…family…wi-with all y-your heart," her mother continued, her sweet voice decreasing in volume had Lucy leaning forward, trying to hear her dear mother more clearly.

"T-Tell your f-father…that I lo-love him…te-tell him…n-not to b-be…a-angry…" and as Lucy leaned forward to hear her mother to hear her better, all she got was a tired sweet smile.

 _*sniffle*hic*sniffle*_

Lucy could hear and feel hers and her mother's beloved celestial spirits in the room yet she didn't turn around to acknowledge them,

"Mama…" And as Layla cupped her daughters face and gently pulled the child towards her, she placed a gentle chaste kiss on her forehead.

"I love you…" she whispered before she leaned back once more, affectionately rubbing her marked right hand against Lucy's little face as the child blubbered out "I l-love you t-too, Mama."

Layla took one last look around the room at her celestial spirits and smiled tearfully at them all as she whispered her love to them.

Aquarius floated towards Layla and gripped her hand tightly, biting her lip as tears flowed down her face, not making eye contact with any of her fellow celestial spirits, not even as Virgo grabbed a hold of her other hand.

Lucy stared, frozen as her mother let out a quiet breath and shut her eyes.

And as the sun went down, and the moon rose, Lucy watched, feeling her little heart break, as her mother's chest stopped rising and what was left of her magic flowed from her body, rose into the air, caressing the rooms occupants as it drifted out of the open doors, and into the night sky leaving nothing more than the gentle sound of chimes in its wake.

C.C.


	12. Part One: Chapter Twelve

Summary: Her mother gave her a scroll signed in blood and bound with magic. Both a blessing and a curse. Years flew by and she soon became something that monsters, even demons, feared. Lucy Heartfilia – Keeper of the Stars.

Keeper of the Stars

Part One: Childhood

Chapter Twelve

As Lucy was staring at her mother, seemingly shell-shocked, the celestial spirits started to disperse as could no longer attach themselves to Layla's magic.

"Princess," Virgo had her head down, bangs covering her eyes as she addressed the young girl. "would you like me to take the journal to the celestial world for safe keeping?" Unable to speak, Lucy numbly nodded her head, barely batting an eye as the pink-haired celestial spirit grabbed the book and disappeared into the celestial world.

"A-Aquarius…" At the sound of her name, Aquarius turned her head to the child that had called for her.

"…?" She looked at the child questioningly, unable to speak as a lump had formed in her throat as she had watched her best friend die before her eyes 'Layla…'

"Mama…she's not...waking up…" Life sparked back into Lucy's eyes and she quickly, desperately tried to wake her mother up. "Why won't she wake up…Aquarius?" Lucy started getting desperate then, having known that her mother's magic, spirit, leaving her body like that wasn't a good thing.

"Mama? Wake up…. please…Mama? Mama! No! Wake up!" Aquarius felt her heart clench even tighter at the sight of the young girl trying to shake her mother awake.

"Lucy…. she's gone," but she was ignored and not wanting to see Lucy break down, the mermaid had quickly snatched the child up into her arms and pulled her tight into an embrace, just as Lucy burst into tears.

"No! No! Mama, she-she can't be gone! She can't! She's lying right there, see! Sh-She's not gone!" Lucy cried harder and pounded her little fists against Aquarius and as she felt the full force of reality set in, she let out a pained howl filled with grief.

"I-I just g-got to see her t-today, Aquarius! I-I want, n-no, I n-need her, M-Mama…" Aquarius could do nothing but try to soothe the child, even as her own heart was breaking.

"I know, brat…I know…" Lucy cried and sobbed louder as Aquarius carried the child from the room and away from her mother's cold body.

As Aquarius passed the maids in the hallway, who had rushed towards the room after hearing her cry out, seeing the distressed child they were all made aware that their beloved Lady Heartfilia had seemingly passed on.

Arcutures caught Aquarius' gaze and followed after her, intent on calming the child's erratic spikes in magic.

The next morning, when Lucy's father got back from his business trip he was greeted by grieving servants, solemn distant relatives and business partners.

Anguished, but composed as the Patriarch of the Heartfilia Konzern should be, he saw the body of his wife with a stone expression and set forth for a funeral at once.

' _Layla, my love…'_ Lost within his own despair, he never took notice of his distraught daughter.

In the confines of his office, Jude grabbed a picture off of his desk, staring at the smiling faces of his wife and daughter, Jude felt his heart shatter as he let his tears fall and he collapsed in on himself as grief hit him.

C.C.


	13. Part One: Final Chapter

Summary: Her mother gave her a scroll signed in blood and bound with magic. Both a blessing and a curse. Years flew by and she soon became something that monsters, even demons, feared. Lucy Heartfilia – Keeper of the Stars.

Keeper of the Stars

Part One: Childhood

Final Chapter

Little Lucy, dressed in a little black dress, was led by the hand of Aquarius, to her mother's final resting place.

As guests tried to peer at the young heiress, she did nothing but stare blankly, lifelessly, at the coffin that contained her mother.

Catching the gazes of nosy guests, Aquarius snarled at them, bearing her teeth at them, savagely scaring them into turning their attention away from the grieving child.

' _Fucking humans…Layla was the only good one and now look…she's gone…'_ Aquarius mentally growled as she gripped the young girls hand tighter watching, with a lump in her throat, as Layla's coffin was being lowered into the ground.

Lucy, taking notice of her father indicating to the undertaker to lower the coffin, felt ire pump through her veins "NO! MAMA!" she shook off Aquarius' hand and, ignoring her father's glare, ran towards her mother's coffin.

"NO! MAMA, DON'T LEAVE ME! PLEASE!" Lucy screamed and kicked as her father grabbed her roughly by the arm.

She blubbered and begged and all but howled in pain and anguish, crying out for her mother.

The guests stared at the child in pity, others muttering about being the spoilt little princess throwing a temper tantrum at her own mother's funeral.

Jude, embarrassed, grieving and growing angry, tried to silence his daughter by squeezing her arm tightly, to which she yelped and tried to snatch away from his grip. _'Papa, you're hurting me...I just want Mama, can't you see!?'_ Lucy thought despairingly as more tears gathered in her eyes at her father's actions.

By this time, Arcutures who had been standing near Aquarius, frowned as she could feel Lucy's magic start to sky rocket so much that, to the untrained eye, almost became visible.

Not wanting a repeat of what happened the previous day with Lucy's magic going haywire, the red-head looked to Aquarius…and rolled her eyes at seeing the mermaid sneer, not wanting to get anywhere her late master/best friend's husband.

Approval glinted in Aquarius' sharp blue eyes as Arcutures stepped forward to gently take the grieving young girl away from her father.

Arcutures levelled a steady glare at the blonde man as he was reluctant to lessen his hold on his daughter when Lucy suddenly let out a pained howl, to which Jude quickly released her, ignoring as Arcutures ushered the child back to Aquarius, discreetly draining the young girl's excess magic as she did so.

Aquarius, not wanting Lucy to try running towards her mother's still open plot and somehow fall in, picked the sobbing, broken hearted child up into her arms "This better not become a habit, brat." She muttered and let the child cry on her shoulder.

As the funeral came to an end and Layla's casket was lowered and covered with fresh dirt without further interruption, one by one the crowd laid flowers on top of the freshly covered grave before slowly and solemnly dispersing as light rain settle in, fitting the sombre mood, leaving only Arcutures, Aquarius and Lucy behind.

Arcutures, noticing Jude follow after the crowd, narrowed her eyes at him and felt her lip curl as the man did not even bother to acknowledge his grieving child, before she turned and placed a hand on Lucy's head comfortingly.

Jude halted in his steps and took one last, final look at his wife's grave and let a few stray tears fall from his eyes, allowing them to mingle with the rain, before he too turned on his heel and left his only child in the care of the celestial spirit and her private tutor.

He did nothing else to console his daughter, for in his eyes, she was much too like his beloved wife and soul mate, Layla.

And as he walked away, guilt and sorrow filled his heart, as he silently acknowledging to himself that he may never, ever be able to look at his, _their,_ little _Lucky Lucy_ , again.

Not yet out of earshot, Spetto quietly approached the grieving husband "Where is her journal, Spetto?" Lucy, Aquarius and Arcutures tensed at his question to the maid.

"I'm sorry, Lord Heartfilia, but we do not know." She bowed her head to avoid eye contact.

"Hn. Find it." He demanded before walking past her and into the mansion.

Spetto looked to the trio and grimaced, nodding her head at them before turning on her heel and following after her master.

With that, Arcutures gently pushed out a wave of magic in an attempt to soothe Lucy before making herself scarce.

Aquarius floated closer to Layla's grave with Lucy in her arms stopping just short of the headstone, she lowered Lucy on to the ground, watching over her as she scrambled towards her mother's headstone and embracing it, letting out a fresh batch of tears as she did so, _'Mama…I love you…'_

Elsewhere, as Lucy was crying and grieving for the loss of her mother, the sounds of her cries for a parent lost, were echoed by five other children across the country of Fiore.

C.C.


	14. Part Two: Just Lucy

Summary: Her mother gave her a scroll signed in blood and bound with magic. Both a blessing and a curse. Years flew by and she soon became something that monsters, even demons, feared. Lucy Heartfilia – Keeper of the Stars.

* * *

Keeper of the Stars

Part Two: Just Lucy

Chapter One

She had been crying for weeks, the whites of her eyes growing pink from the salt content alone.

With her mother's journal in her hand, Lucy did nothing but trace the patterns on it, not yet wanting to open it and read its contents.

Sitting on the edge of the lake she and her mother used to frequent so often, she dangled her feet in the water, as she lost herself to her thoughts.

She hadn't been able to summon any of the celestial spirits lately, hadn't even made time to make contracts with her mother's previous ones, before her father confiscated her mother's beloved keys.

The only key he hadn't been able to take was Aquarius' and that was because the mermaid herself had opened her own gate and glared at him fiercely for even thinking of touching her key.

Lucy took to carrying it on a chain around her neck securely after Aquarius had given her a stern talking to _*note: telling off with a huge tidal wave in typical Aquarius fashion_.

And that was the last time Lucy remembered interacting with her father, after that the only people she ever really interacted with was Spetto, Tullius, Arcutures and, albeit unwillingly, Aquarius.

Lucy frowned as she thought of Tullius, after the first impression he had left on her, she never showed up to his tutoring hours, preferring to spend her time in the presence of Arcutures.

Tullius, was an annoyance of a man, and Lucy couldn't bear to stand in his presence. All the fool could talk about was how much she resembled her mother and how _unfortunate_ it was to have lost her mother so soon.

Though she didn't like to think it, she often thought to herself that she had lost both her parents in the wake of her mother's death.

Though her father was still alive, he barely interacted with her, and it cut Lucy to the core.

She had lost one parent to death and the other seemingly of his own violation. Lucy's little heart could only take so much and she often wondered how she'd turn out if she didn't have Aquarius or Arcutures around to keep her company.

Try as she might, she did adore Spetto, but age was wearing her thin and her husband was pushing for her to entire retirement, but the little old maid wouldn't budge.

Lucy flopped back onto the soft damp ground underneath her, leaving her bare feet dangling over the small edge and into the water.

She clutched her mother's journal to her chest with her left hand and raised her right hand into the air, admiring the decorative marking on the inside of her hand, losing herself, once again to her memories.

" _Mama! Mama! Why do you have such marks on your hand! Do they hurt?" Little five-year-old Lucy held her mother's marked right hand between her own, small fingers lightly tracing the slightly dark swirls that ran from the tip of her index finger, down her palm and on to the inside of her wrist._

" _No sweetheart, in fact, these are the markings of the heir Heartfilia Clan, handed from one generation to the other." Layla smiled at her daughter, amusement glinting in her eyes as Lucy stopped her tracing to smile adoringly at her mother._

" _Hair, mama? I have hair too! And papa! But we don't have pretty marks like you do…" Layla chuckled at the innocence of her child, pulling the young girl into her lap and holding the child's hands to her face, gently placing kisses at the tips of her fingers._

" _One day," Layla started "You will receive these very same marks, for you, my sweet little star, are indeed the next heir in line." Lucy giggled at the ticklish feeling of her mother's lips against her fingers._

" _Cool! I want to be just like you mama!" Layla smiled down at her daughter before adjusting her into the crook of her arms and proceeded to tell her stories of fairies and dragons._

"Father says I am to wear gloves at all times Mama, but I refused…" Lucy whispered into the air, half expecting a reply but only hearing the sounds of rustling leaves blowing in the wind.

Feeling a bit better with her time alone, she sat up and dipped Aquarius' key into the lake, whispering as she did so "Open…gate of the water bearer…Aquarius!" and with a bright flash, Aquarius popped into existence with her usual grouchy expression.

"Listen, brat! What have I-" but before the temperamental mermaid could finish, Lucy sullenly thrusted her mother's journal at the mermaid.

"Mama said to keep this from father…I can't keep it here because the maids have been ordered to clear out all of mother's belongings…" Lucy murmured to the celestial spirit, and seeing the dejection on the child's face, Aquarius just huffed in indignantly.

"Brat, you can't keep calling me out every time you want to play with your mother's journal!" Aquarius told her "Either read it now or save it for a later date I refuse to continue coming back and forth!" Lucy barely twitched at the mermaid, she only nodded her head in subdued acquiescence.

Aquarius looked over the blonde worryingly, noting that the young girl had lost a significant amount of weight, and Aquarius could feel that even her magic had seemed to lessen.

"…I'm so lonely, Aquarius…I overheard father talking to Mr. Tullius about remarrying today…" Lucy spoke so lowly, Aquarius had to drift forward a little to hear her better.

"…Tullius was saying if I don't pick up my studies…Father's going to replace me as heir and sell me off to some rich guy…" Lucy couldn't even bring herself to cry any more, the young girl was all cried out and seeing that made Aquarius' blood boil because gone was the bright, bubbly child of Layla Heartfilia and in her place was just a young girl, seven years old and already a shell of herself.

' _That asshole…'_ The mermaid thought to herself "Listen brat," she flipped open Layla's book and slipped out a paper that had writing on it, _Earthland writing_ , Lucy noted as Aquarius handed it to her.

"When the time comes, hand this over to Arcutures. She'll tell you what it is and what to do with it. Now, I'm going to hold on to your mother's journal until you're ready to read it, okay brat?" To which Lucy nodded and folded it half, placing the small paper in her pocket.

"I've got a date to get back to now so you best get a move on, brat. Not that I care, you can stay here or not. Do whatever you want." The bluenette disappeared in a flash, splashing Lucy lightly, for once, as she did so.

' _When the time comes…whatever that means…'_ With that thought in mind, Lucy got up and began her walk back to the mansion at a much more subdued pace. _'Miss Arc is probably waiting for me…'_ Lucy wandered back towards her house lost in thought.

C.C.


	15. Part Two: Chapter Two

Keeper of the Stars

Part Two: Just Lucy

Chapter Two

One day, Lucy found herself trapped in the confines of her study room with none other than her least favourite tutor Mr Tullius. Although previously, she had been told by Spetto _multiple times_ , that he was a 'great tutor' and had been a 'very good friend of her father's' though Lucy was a bit sceptical at her claims and, if she were being honest, disinterested.

Nothing had been able to capture the child's interest nowadays, not even her magical studies. Her tutor, Arcutures, had called it depression but she couldn't quite bring herself to find out what that was.

"Miss Heartfilia, it is important that you focus." Tullius began. "You're not doing very well in your studies and your father is very disappointed." He peered down at the child who hadn't even bothered to acknowledge him other than her quiet greeting at the beginning of their session.

"Your father pays a great deal of money for you to be successful, Miss Heartfilia." He prodded, trying to get a reaction out of her, but still the young girl wasn't paying the man any attention.

Tullius started to get annoyed, he wasn't used to being ignored and lately, he had been taking one too many blows to his ego as his only student, for the time being, rarely, if ever, attended his tutoring hours.

His complaints to the beautiful tutor had made him sound petulant as she told him airily that she had no problem with the child at all. Though, unbeknownst to him, she had been lying.

' _Right then, you little brat, let's see how you'll feel when I tell you the great news…'_ He smirked maliciously to himself.

Lucy stared at the numbers on her page blankly. She knew the answers to the equations, of course she did, she just didn't feel the need to write them down.

Lately, she thought to herself, she hadn't felt the need to do _anything._ Right now, as Tullius rattled on and on about money and business, all she wanted to do was close in on herself.

' _My father's ignoring me, took away Mama's keys and forbid me from doing magic.'_ Lucy gripped the pencil in her hand tight at the thought.

She had started feeling restless after the first few days of her father banning magic outright in their house that, if it weren't for Arcutures, she felt she would have burst.

A foreign feeling that had been building up inside of the young girl, only got bigger and bigger as days went by.

Her father had contributed to the mass regularly, it wasn't enough that he was ignoring her, no after the last confrontation that they had, he had been staying well away from her which she felt just fine with.

' _That man is NOT my father…'_ Lucy grit her teeth as Tullius, oblivious to her rising ire, continued to blabber on about her father and the sacrifices he's made for her.

"That poor man should indeed re-marry, Miss Lucy, it's uncouth for a young lady such as yourself to not have _any_ kind of motherly influence in your life." Tullius grinned as he saw the pencil that had been held in a tight grasp snap with an audible _*Crack!*_

' _Ah, finally, Miss Heartfilia.'_ Satisfied with her reaction, Tullius smugly carried on. "Well, lucky for you, _Miss_ Heartfilia, your father has taken to courting that _lovely_ Imitatia of the Lobster family, so I do believe you'll be getting a mother sooner, rather than later, my dear."

Lucy mumbled something under breath as she had sat there, processing his words. "Now that you have been informed, _Miss Heartfilia_ , I do believe you have more reason to do better with your studies if you want to keep your inheritance, of course." Tullius smirked, pleased with himself as he believed he had stunned the child into silence.

At hearing his words, Lucy felt herself freeze with shock. _'Papa…wants to…re…marry?'_ Lucy had sudden flashbacks of her father, when he was her _'Papa'_ and not her _'Father'_ , and had loved herself and her mother so unconditionally, that it was hard for the young girl to imagine having another woman in hers and her father's life.

 _*Flashback*_

' _Papa! Papa!' Lucy stared up at her father with adoring eyes, squealing in excitement as he lifted her in the air and spun her around in circles, hugging his daughter tightly as he had missed the little tyke during his business trip. 'I missed you papa! Mama did too! You gotsa stop saying byebye so much papa it makes us sad, right mama?' Layla smiled at her daughter as she approached her husband and agreed with the child wholeheartedly 'You've been gone for too long, Judy my love. We really have missed you, dear.' Jude felt guilty at that and pulled his wife into a shared embrace with their daughter. 'Fine. I'll never stay away from my two favourite people for longer than a few days. I promise.'_

 _*Flashback End*_

Lucy felt her heart start to pump faster as the memories hit her.

*thu-thump* ' _N-No…Stop…Stop it..'_ Lucy's eyes were wide but unseeing as she was stuck replaying memories of her mother and father from before her mother's death, before her father's abrupt hate of magic, and she felt like gripping her head _'N-No…Mama…Papa…'_

 _*Flashback*_

' _I love you papa!' She exclaimed as she rubbed her little button nose against her father's much larger one. 'I love you too, sunshine.' He rumbled back and Lucy giggled more as his fuzzy moustache tickled her face as he nuzzled her._

 _*Flashback End*_

Lucy felt her heart ache as, once again, she was reminded that there was a time when her father hadn't always been so cold towards her and so hateful towards magic.

And at that, as the weight of Tullius' words crashed down on her, she felt that foreign feeling that had been building up over the past few days' _snap._

"…yourself." Tullius quirked a brow at the child as she pushed her chair back and walked towards the door.

"Excuse me, Miss Heartfilia, what did you say? And just where do you think you're going? You've still got two more hours of business study!" Tullius fumed indignantly as he tried to make eye contact with Lucy but was unable to seeing as Lucy had her head down and had her bangs covering her eyes.

Lucy paused just as her hand reached the door knob, before she sharply turned her head and tilted it up at the infuriating man behind her.

Lucy felt her mouth twist into a sneer as Tullius had caught sight of her eyes and had frozen in fear at the look in the seven-year-old's eye.

' _M-Monster…'_ The grown man had seen that look before, _'T-That…terrifying mermaid….'_ He gulped as he recalled the murderous glare he had received from Aquarius, now seeing it on the face of the once bubbly little blonde girl, had scared the fool into silence.

"I said…Go fuck yourself. Was that clear enough for you, Tullius?" Stunned by her use of such _foul_ language, Tullius could only sputter, choking on his words.

"…tch." At the sight of the pitiful man behind her, Lucy felt that foreign feeling within her again absolutely _throb_ with what she now realized was _rage_.

' _Father wants to re-marry…? Well, I guess I wasn't hearing things after all...'_ She thought to herself before she yanked open the door and slammed it behind her.

Tullius jumped at the sound of the door slamming and shuddered _'No child should ever be considered that scary…I need to speak to Lord Heartfilia about his disrespectful child. It seems Miss Arcutures isn't doing her job right in teaching the little wench manners.'_ He thought to himself with a sniff before taking a few deep breaths and shaking out the residue fear the child had left behind in him.

* * *

In the Celestial World, Aquarius cackled at the sight of the pitiful human being scared straight of the little brat, as she watched what had transpired through the scrying bowl she had asked specifically from the Spirit King.

Not wanting to seem soft in the eyes of her fellow celestial spirits, she had asked he place it in the middle of all of their gates so that the other spirits could use it too. She may, or may not, have demanded he keep her request between them.

Scorpio smirked as he had seen the very familiar sneer on the child's face _'Now where have I seen that wicked look before…'_ He looked to his still chuckling girlfriend and felt warmth blossom across his chest.

He knew she had been dealing with the grief of losing her best friend so seeing her with a smirk on her face was a nice change from the frosty glare she usually wore.

"Haha! That's it, brat. Tell that fucking human where to go!" Gemi and Mini sweat dropped as the mermaid cheered uncharacteristically.

' _Piri! Piri! I don't think Aquarius is a very good influence'_ The twins thought to each other before looking back towards Aquarius _'Aquarius sure hates humans, Piri! Piri!'_ and shrugged, before joining in on the maniacal cackling.

The mother and son duo Pisces, came across the other three spirits, two cackling at the scrying mirror and the other staring at the mermaid with a creepy smirk on his face.

"I wonder what they're laughing about…" The young man asked his mother who carried on walking and didn't bother answering her son. "Mom!~" he wailed as he hurried to catch up with her.

Above them all, the Celestial Spirit smiled down at his fellow subjects however, he couldn't shake the feeling that something horrible had happened to the other zodiac spirits that were absent.

He looked towards the gates of the zodiac spirits and frowned. _'Friends…where are you?'_

* * *

C.C.


	16. Part Two: Chapter Three

Keeper of the Stars

Part Two: Just Lucy

Chapter Three

It had been four months, nine days and thirteen hours since Layla had passed and Lucy found herself tucked away beneath a weeping willow tree, hiding away from servants sent out by her father to find her.

Lucy furrowed her brow and summoned a small golden orb of magic into her hand as she heard the distant shouts of her name.

"Playing with your magic like that, Miss Lucy, is bound to get somebody hurt." Lucy didn't startle at the abrupt appearance of her tutor, who seemingly appeared out of thin air.

"You're starting to scare the maids and servants of the house too, Miss Lucy…" Arcutures kneeled down in front the child as Lucy continued to ignore her.

"What's bothering you, Miss Lucy?" At those words, Lucy's eyes rose to meet the sharp ice blue of Arcutures' eyes, "I was formerly introduced to my new _step-mother_ this morning…"

Arcutures felt saddened at the dullness in the young girl's eyes, and with a wave of her hand, dispersed the orb of magic from Lucy's hands as she pulled the young girl into a hug.

"You don't sound happy, Miss Lucy but perhaps this might…be a good thing?" the red-headed woman grimaced and winced at her own words as she felt Lucy freeze before being pushed away from the girl.

"My mother hasn't even been gone a year and father has already decided to re-marry…" Arcutures finally understood why the child was being difficult.

"Is that why you've taken to purposely blowing things up?" At her question, Lucy just shrugged and looked away.

"I'm quite impressed, you've come a long way from almost accidentally blowing up large parts of the house." Arcutures said dryly but, to her dismay, Lucy remained silent.

"Come with me, Miss Lucy. Perhaps we should get started on some more studies?" Lucy just stood up and brushed her pants off before silently following behind Arcutures.

Together the two walked in silence towards the mansion.

"When will you tell me what your relation to the celestial spirits is, Arcutures?" Arcutures smiled at the question, _'ah, so she finally asks.',_ The red-headed woman turned her head slightly to look down at the child.

"Well, Miss Lucy, I was summoned to your side the night you signed our scroll. On your birthday, I believe it was?" Lucy's eyes widened at her tutor's words, feeling excitement spark through her.

" _You're_ the sacred scroll of the celestial world Mama made me sign?" She gasped and Arcutures laughed lightly at the girl.

"No, not really," she paused in her step and turned to address the young blonde behind her.

"I'm the person who tracks all of your contracted spirits outside of the zodiacs." She nodded as she spoke.

"I'm also your tutor, as I was your mother's tutor and her mother before her and so on so forth. It is my job to make sure you are able to grasp the basics of celestial magic." Lucy's eyes widened but before she could question her tutor any more, Arcutures had continued walking, making Lucy rush to catch up.

"Wait, wait, does that mean you can tell me more about Mama?!" She questioned, feeling happy for the first time in months.

"As you are aware, there are laws in the celestial world regarding information sharing between spirits and masters, so I won't be able to tell you anything too detailed, Miss Lucy." Arcutures had decided then and there that, because she only had less than a year left to teach Lucy about her magic and what she is capable of, she was going to start now.

Lucy had been given more than enough time to mourn, and it was time she started getting on with her life.

"I understand! Of course! I just…I just want to hear more about Mama…" Lucy hurried after her tutor and spoke quietly.

"It's like no one likes to speak of her anymore and…with father getting married and the maids removing her stuff from the compound, I feel like…everyone's trying to forget her…you know?" Lucy clenched her fists as she spoke "I refuse to forget her! And that's why…that's why I've been really bad and blowing things up…."

Arcutures smiled, _'Admittance is the first step, Miss Lucy.'_ She stopped and gestured for Lucy to catch up, as the child had stopped walking.

"No matter what happens, Miss Lucy, whether your father re-marries or not, Layla will always be your mother and she will always be with you, in your heart." Lucy stared wide eyed as her tutor turned to face her, feeling tears well up in her own eyes as she realized that the loneliness that she had been feeling was for naught because Arcutures was there for her.

"And if you ever need to reassure yourself, look to the stars, and be comforted by them. Because Layla is up there too." Arcutures gently wiped the tears streaming down the young girls face.

"Your mother would hate to see how you've been these past few months, Miss Lucy. I do hope that today is the day that you shed the last of your tears and find the strength, that I know is inside you, to move on and live. Live for Layla." Lucy squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep shuddering breath, trying to stem the flow of her oncoming tears.

' _Live for Mama…?'_ Lucy felt her resolve strengthen at the thought, before guilt set in. _'Miss Arc is right, she wouldn't want me to be like this…she wouldn't like me blowing up doors and the locks on them either…'_ Lucy shook her head and wiped her face the sleeve of her arm.

"I promise I'll stop crying, Miss Arc! I promise I'll be better! For Mama…I'd do anything." Arcutures felt relief course through her as _life_ brightened the young girls dull brown eyes, sparking them reminiscent of the way they had once sparkled before, when she had first met the child. _'Not quite as bright, yet not as dull either. That's something.'_

"And for yourself, Miss Lucy. Now. Let's get a move on, shall we?" Extending her palm towards Lucy, Arcutures fast travelled to the inside of Lucy's private study room.

"Now, Miss Lucy," Arcutures had released her hand and had taken a seat at Lucy's desk, gesturing for the child to take the seat next to her. "For the past few months we have been working on cultivating celestial magic and turning it into something you can control."

Lucy nodded her head at Arcutures words. "However, because Celestial Magic is a holder type magic, you being able to cast celestial magic in it's pure form is somewhat of an anomaly, are you with me so far?" Arcutures spoke in her usual sharp tone.

"What I mean by that is that there is no other celestial wizard out there that is able to use celestial magic the way that you can, Miss Lucy." Arcutures continued to explain to Lucy as she sat there paying close attention the words of her tutor.

"You're capable of doing this", Arcutures summoned a golden orb into her hand as demonstration for the child.

"Because you are a part of the Heartfilia bloodline. The Heartfilia have always been known for their prowess in Celestial magic" Lucy raised her hand in interruption, "Only Celestial magic?"

Arcutures turned sharp blue eyes to the child. "No, not only celestial magic, however because you are indeed the current legacy of the Heartfilia clan, you are able to use Celestial magic like no other celestial mage. There has not been a recorded instance in which a Heartfilia was not capable to wielding this magic."

"Why are the Heartfilia so different from the other celestial mages, Miss Arc?" Lucy inquired.

"The contract that you signed on the eve of your seventh birthday was made several hundred years ago between a very powerful mage and the celestial king in order to defeat a great evil." Arcutures eyes misted over as she was lost in her memories.

"That powerful mage was your ancestor Anna Heartfilia. She was a very powerful mage, and at that time, not only was there a war here on earth, but there was also conflict in the celestial realm as well…but we will not get into that right now." Lucy nodded her head at her tutor's words before raising her eyes to meet the bright blue of the woman's in front of her.

"Miss Arc? What…what does that contract hold? Mama said it was a very important scroll, an heirloom in fact, passed on from generation to generation…" Arcutures leaned back in her chair as she responded to the child's question.

"Well, the contract basically indicates that you are allowed to make contracts with spirits in the sky that aren't very common." Arcutures' brow furrows in thought as she tried to think of what to say to the child that would satisfy her curiousity and wasn't too hard to explain.

"As you know, there are the silver gate keys and the golden gate keys, yes?" At this, Lucy nodded, her Mama and Aquarius had covered the basics of keys and spirits back when Lucy first summoned Aquarius.

"These gate keys all have one thing in common." Arcutures eyed the child in front of her and decided to just get on with her explanation.

Lucy might be young but she was not stupid, Arcutures knew that much over the past few months she had spent with the girl.

"The silver and golden gate keys can be wielded by anyone with enough determination and magical power. However, you are a special case because of your bloodline as we have already established." Lucy nodded her head slowly, remembering her tutor's words about her ancestor Anna Heartfilia from only moments ago.

"The Legacy of the Heartfilia clan, upon signing the age old agreement, will be granted the ability to make blood contracts with other celestial beings of our realm." Lucy's eyes widened and she lifted her right hand to analyse the marking on it.

Arcutures smiled in approval as she continued speaking. "You're special because there are things that only a true celestial born mage can do, and as far as I know, the Heartfilia clan have always been, and always will be, the only celestial born clan on earth."

Lucy's eyes widened at the implications of her tutor's words. "The _only_ celestial born clan? On earth? That...That seems pretty rare, Miss Arc." The young girl found it hard to believe, in fact, the thought was rather preposterous.

"It is indeed rare. Because you have signed the scroll, in both blood and magic, the spirits of the sky recognize you as…our Keeper." Arcutures watched the child like a hawk as the young girl processed the information.

"Keeper? But what's a Keeper, Miss Arc? And how do I be one?" Lucy was confused, she was picking at straws trying to remember when, where and even if her mother had ever brought this "Keeper" business up.

"You are the Keeper of the Stars, Miss Lucy." Arcutures thought on how to explain the meaning of her job now without scaring the child before her.

"In simpler terms, you keep the stars with you. You…befriend us just as we befriend you." Lucy's eyes were wide with disbelief.

"But…isn't that what I do with the silver and golden gate keys anyway?" She was terribly confused and Arcutures pinched her brows in thought.

"Well, in a way yes, However, the difference is that these contracts are signed in blood and magic. For instance, you summoned me the second the sacred scroll acknowledged you as the new and current Keeper." Lucy nodded her head slowly, slowly grasping at what Arcutures was saying.

"And because you have signed it, it has become my duty to make sure you are very knowledgeable in the way of our magic, for you are the only one capable of wielding it, as I have said before." Arcutures finally settled on what else to say.

"Because we are bound by blood aswell as magic, then we can only ever be bound to you until the next Keeper comes. But that won't be for a while because there has never, ever been more than one Keeper at the same time." Lucy's eyes widened and started to water as realization settled in but Arcutures was too busy trying to wrap up the conversation to notice.

"You will be the only one able to summon myself and whichever celestial spirit you sign a blood and magic bound contract with, Miss Lucy…Miss Lucy? W-What's wrong?" The red-head woman pushed up her glasses anxiously as Lucy was trembling and letting out a series of shallow breaths.

Arcutures' eyes widened as she thought the girl was having a panic attack. "I-I k-killed M-Mama…?" Lucy managed to stutter out.

She couldn't breathe, through the haze of what Arcutures had been saying, Lucy only heard one line, _'There has never been more than one Keeper at the same time? Is that why Mama died? Because I signed the scroll?'_ at that thought, the young girl thought her chest would cave in.

"S-She's n-not h-here be-because of m-me?" Arcutures eyes widened at the question and she slumped down in her chair, feeling like she failed in trying to lift the young girl's spirits up.

Lucy started sobbing then, taking her tutor's slump as an admission, however Arcutures had had enough of the girls crying and while she could understand where the girl was coming from, she was running out of time on Earthland.

"Miss Lucy. Please stop crying. You must understand that death is a part of life and that life goes on. It always does. And while it's sad that you have indeed taken your mother's place as keeper, you must realize that she had done the same for her mother as her mother had done before." Arcutures removed her glasses as she spoke.

"You did not kill your mother. Layla died from magical deficiency disorder." Lucy narrowed her eyes at the red-head woman.

"Then why didn't you transfer your magic unto her like you do unto me?" Arcutures steadily held the child's gaze as she answered.

"Because I was not allowed to and that is all I am saying on the matter, Miss Lucy. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get started on your control of the destructive nature of our celestial magic." As Arcutures stood up to open the windows in the room, Lucy's eyes narrowed in thought.

' _Not allowed to…what does that even mean?'_ The child huffed and felt the familiar thickness of rage inside her start to build up. _'One day, I will find out Miss Arc.'_

Hearing the child's thoughts resound through her own head, Arcutures mentally sighed and prayed to the gods above that when that day comes, Lucy would be older and less prone to destroying things.

C.C.


	17. Part Two: Chapter Four

Keeper of the Stars

Part Two: Just Lucy

Chapter Four

Lucy was tired, sore and starving. This had become a familiar feeling over the past couple of weeks. Though she had to admit, it was rather welcoming in the wake of her father's recent wedding.

Arcutures had been relentless in her tutoring now and they had jumped from the origins of the celestial spirits she'd one day be able to make contracts with and straight into strengthening her magical core without the aid of using gate keys.

"Try it once more, Miss Lucy, then we can call it a break and head inside for some well-deserved afternoon tea." Arcutures had been watching Lucy closely throughout their sessions and had been steadily marking the girls progress down meticulously.

Lucy grit her teeth and closed her eyes in concentration as sweat poured down her forehead.

Suddenly, her eyes snapped open and she began to chant, steadily pushing her magic into her summoning spell.

' _Legendary Celestial Summoning!_

 _I summon thee! Crown of the Celestial Spirit!_

 _Corona Borealis!'_

As soon as she had finished her enchantment, a three pieced chain, that had a bright tear drop shaped jewel in the centre of it, appeared in her hand.

"Excellent! Very well done, Miss Lucy." Arcutures was very proud but no less surprised by her young student's progress.

She had managed to summon at least one of the seven stars from the Corona Borealis crown itself which was a very big step for the young girl.

That was a big change for Lucy because during her first attempts she had only managed to summon bracelets and rings without any of the seven stars.

Lucy plopped on the ground in a heap, staring at the chained head piece in her hand apprehensively.

"Arcutures? What does this do? And…how do I wear it?" She inquired questioningly.

"It's worn in the very same manner that Aquarius wears her head piece, if I do remember correctly. As for what it can do, why don't you try it on and find out, Miss Lucy?" Arcutures answered the young girl and hid a smile behind her notebook as the young girl huffed.

Lucy eyed the head chain wearily, unsure of what power it might hold, but when she placed it on her head, with the jewel in the centre of her forehead, she felt a thrum of magic tingle all over her skin.

"So, Miss Lucy? How does it feel?" Arcutures raised an eyebrow at the sight of the little girl, decked out in calf length cargo pants and a sleeveless turtle neck, all black of course, and barefoot.

The only colouring the girl had to her, aside the obvious blonde hair and deep brown eyes, that always seemed to turn slightly honey-gold when using celestial magic, was the head chain she had fitted on to herself.

"I don't feel any different, Arcutures, I can feel some magic tingle all over my skin but…I'm still exhausted and hungry…what does this thing do exactly?" Lucy tiredly eyed her tutor.

Arcutures closed her eyes in contemplation, trying to recall what the first power of the stars were. It had been a long time since she had had to tutor anyone in the celestial magic of old.

Layla, while admittedly was a strong mage, no one could refute that, however she had always been unable to summon any of the ancient spirits, or their tools, like how little Lucy could.

If Arcutures remembered correctly, the last person to ever be capable of successfully contracting with the spirits of old, had been Anna Heartfilia and that was during an extreme crisis.

In the back of her mind, Arcutures knew that the reason for Lucy to be capable of such magic, was because she was going to need it. It had been nagging the red-head for a while now, but she just didn't want to accept it.

"If I do remember correctly, the first star of the Corona Borealis is a protection barrier. However, the barrier only extends to the wearer of it and only then, it cannot protect you from much." Arcutures conjured a small throwing knife and, surprising Lucy, threw it towards the young girl at an alarming rate.

Lucy damn near wet herself in fear, as she was far too exhausted to dodge he oncoming projectile. She raised her arms in defence, covering her head and face as she did so, fearfully awaiting the inevitable pain.

Lucy _heard_ the small knife hit her but she didn't _feel_ it. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?! ARE YOU TRYING TO FUCKING KILL ME?!" Her brown eyes were alight with rage, and her cheeks were flushed pink as her tutor just chuckled at her.

"Mind your language, Miss Lucy. "She chuckled at the indignant child in front of her "And, no, I don't believe so, seeing as you are currently unharmed." Arcutures twirled the small throwing knife between her fingers before she dismissed it back into the celestial realm with a flick of her fingers.

"Although I did not throw my weapon at you hard enough to kill you," Lucy stubbornly continued to glare at her tutor. "I did, however, throw it hard enough to harm you."

Arcutures stifled a laugh as Lucy started to sputter, "Then how am I not hurt? Did this star thingy on my forehead protect me or something?" Lucy inquired as she looked over her arms.

"Yes. While it's a weak protection barrier, it still managed to repel my knife upon contact." Lucy slowly nodded her head at the information as her heart had started to slow down to its regular, steady pace.

"Over time, as your control on your magic increases, the magic that is put into the summoned, let's say _tools_ , is strengthened as well." Lucy took on a pondering look as Arcutures continued speaking.

"However, the more stars that are summoned, the more it will change." Before Lucy could question her, Arcutures continues talking, "That means that while it acts as a protective barrier on your personal body now, in its first form, it could have an entirely different effect when you summon it with more than one star, let's say it's second form. Do you follow, Miss Lucy?"

Lucy nodded her head and followed after her tutor as the woman turned and began to walk back to towards the mansion.

"For now, seeing as your father seemingly has absolutely no intentions of you getting Miss Layla's keys, I suggest you get used to wearing that head chain as often as you can." Lucy raised an eyebrow at the suggestion.

Over the past few months following her mother's death, the seven-year-old had taken to wearing the same style cargo pants and sleeveless turtle neck shirt, every day.

She had ignored all of her pretty dresses and jewellery she once wore, back when her mother was alive, but the pretty garments and shiny jewels had lost its appeal on the young girl.

And quite frankly, she didn't want to dress up anymore. She frowned, as she thought of her father and his new fiancé.

They'd be getting married in about a week, and Lucy absolutely hated the artificial woman.

Imitatia, was her name, and just like her name, Lucy thought that the woman was absolutely fake. She tried to replace the role of her mother and for that, Lucy rebelled.

Imitatia wanted Lucy to wear pretty dresses and dainty jewellery, Lucy defied her by wearing pants and sleeveless turtlenecks.

But the best part, was when Lucy went barefoot. Oh, how Imitatia and her father disliked it when she acted like a, what was it that Imitatia had said earlier that day? _Oh that's right,_ Lucy snorted, _"Dressed like a barbarian!"_

"What is it that you find amusing, Miss Lucy?" Arcutures could, of course, telepathically link herself to the child but with her wearing the head piece, she found herself unable to.

"I was just thinking…if father or, lord forbid, that vile woman _Imitatia_ ," Lucy sneered as she said her name "Saw me wearing this head piece, they might think that I'm going to start dressing like "an heiress should" again…" The little blonde girl folded her arms.

"Not to mention Tullius also bemoans my latest outfit choice." she rolled her eyes at the thought of the idiot man who never seemed to learn his lesson and always seemed to be able to make her lose her cool.

"Although…" Lucy said darkly, _'Oh how they will be furious to know that it's a magical head piece…'_ She chuckled darkly and Arcutures merely raised an eyebrow at the child's dark muttering.

Arcutures had noticed that Lucy was more irritable and annoyed lately, she was definitely a lot angrier too, but as Arcutures had gotten used to her new behaviour, she often found it amusing and adorable.

Like a kitten trying to be a tiger. _'I'm going to Miss this child when I leave. But don't worry, Miss Lucy, I won't be gone too long.'_ Arcutures thought to herself as she placed a hand on top of the girl's small head.

Startled out of her daydream of causing her father and his fiancé distressed, she questioningly looked up at her tutor as she felt her place a hand on top of her head, holding her in place.

"Miss Lucy, as you know I have been with you for roughly six months now, and my contract has stated that I am only allowed a year with you before I must leave," Arcutures looked meaningfully at the child, as she opened her mouth to protest, "I have only four more months with you, to tutor you as much as I can, okay?" She cut her off before the young blonde could speak.

"Because you have taken so well to our magic of old, I am allowed to come to you to help you with your magic whenever I want." At those words, Lucy felt relief flood her body.

She had lost her mother and couldn't stand the thought of losing her tutor too.

"I am going on a…mission of sorts, in the celestial world and it may take years for me to be able to complete it, but I assure you, I will always return to you, my Keeper." Arcutures forced as much feeling as she could into her gaze.

"...I understand, Miss Arc." Lucy bowed her head in acquiescence.

Arcutures ruffled her young student's hair in return. "Now then, let's get you inside, you are in need of nourishment, Miss Lucy."

Lucy nodded at her tutor and held on to her hand as the older woman led her inside and towards the kitchens.

C.C.

A/N: As you can see, the chapters are starting to get longer, I'm going for 1500+ words per chapter now. Thank you to everyone who has added this story to their favourites and following lists. The story is starting to progress a bit more now, expect to see Jude, Imitatia (as his wife) in the next chapter. (Note: Imitatia and Michelle are NOT the same person in this fic.)


	18. Part Two: Chapter Five

Keeper of the Stars

Part Two: Just Lucy

Chapter Five

Lucy had spent the whole month of November avoiding the other occupants of the house.

Her practice of maintaining her hold on the celestial tool Corona Borealis had really paid off. She had found herself able to summon two stars now, in the form of earrings this time.

Although admittedly, she had been unimpressed with something that could 'Detect Life Force' as Arcutures had said.

She could really appreciate it now, as she hid behind columns and ducked into little hideaways of the mansion as she felt the oncoming presence of someone nearby.

The house was full of life as the maids and servants were directed in each and every direction to place whatever decoration suited Imitatia's fancy.

"No no, servant, a little to the left…a little more…yes! Right there! Splendid!" A woman, in her mid-thirties clapped her hands together in satisfaction.

Lucy peeked out from a crawl space she had been crawling through, avoiding everyone, and rolled her eyes at the woman's delight.

"Miss Lobster-" Imitatia Lobster, a tall statuesque woman, with long, wavy caramel brown hair and a pair of slanted, deep set murky green eyes, raised her hand to silence the maid that had addressed her.

"Spetto, darling, I believe it is _Lady Heartfilia_ now, please do get it right." Imitatia sparkled as she said so, however the grin on her face dropped as a loud bang resounded throughout the parlour she was currently redecorating.

"Actually, _Miss Lobster,_ you are not a Heartfilia, and you never will be, why father never bothered to tell you otherwise I have no idea," Lucy kicked open the panel she had been spying through and was nonchalantly dusting herself off as she spoke to the woman.

"Mother, was the carrier of our Heartfilia name and father had taken it too, just as he has now taken yours." Lucy stood at her tallest, which really wasn't that tall for a seven-year-old, and sneered down her nose at her step-mother.

Imitatia grit her teeth as she smiled tightly at her step-daughter, the young girl had turned into a ruffian during the months following her mother's death and had hidden away during her own father's wedding.

Not that Imitatia minded, in fact, it had been wonderful of the child to so _thoughtfully_ make herself scarce, what Imitatia did mind, was the fact that the child had the audacity to allow herself to be seen crawling through the walls like some kind of _rat_ and allowing people to see her do so.

"Your father is the Patriarch of the Heartfilia Konzern and I am his wife" Imitatia sniffed "Not that I'd expect a ruffian like you to know anything, _daughter._ "

Spetto and the other servants had stopped what they were doing and had taken to watching the verbal fight between their Heiress and Matriarch, looking back and forth between the two, wanting to defend their heiress but not wanting to anger their current matriarch, they watched in tense silence.

Lucy grinned a feral grin, looking surprisingly fierce as her short, choppy blonde hair framed her soot covered face. "Father is no longer a Heartfilia, the Konzern may still be named "Heartfilia" but that doesn't necessarily mean that he, or you, are Heartfilia."

She walked towards her step-mother, leaving behind a trail of dirty foot prints as Imitatia grimaced at the sight and struggled not to cower under the intense gaze of the young girl walking towards her.

"L-Lucy, I don't know where this behaviour is coming from, however" Imitatia straightened her back and cleared her throat as Lucy paused in her steps, as if finally listening to her _mother's_ words.

"I am your mother I demand that you treat me as such! I may not be your biological mother," she sneered.

"But I am still your father's wife and you will not disrespect me so! Now, Spetto, be a dear and take our lovely _heiress_ , to her bathing chambers, I do believe the child is in absolute dire need of a cleaning." Imitatia looked down her nose as the little blonde girl rose her hand up and summoned an orb of magic into her hand.

Lucy was absolutely seething by the time Imitatia had finished talking. _"How dare this woman call herself my mother…how fucking dare she!'_ Lucy's nostrils flared at the thought and without thinking, she summoned a small orb of explosive magic into the palm of her lightly scarred right hand.

"Let's get one thing straight, Imitatia. You" The young girl sneered as the orb in her hand grew brighter and started to crackle "are not my _fucking_ mother." Lucy looked up, and locked eyes with the frightened woman standing at the top of the staircase in the parlour.

Imitatia gasped, feeling her heart start to beat erratically as the sight of the child's glowing golden eyes locked with her own green eyes, _'M-Monster…'_ she couldn't help but think as she could feel the _power_ radiate from the child before her.

"you are not my mother and you NEVER FUCKING WILL BE! _"_ Lucy screamed as she thrust the orb of magic in the direction of her step mother.

Imitatia screams were echoed by the servants and maids in the parlour, many of the jumping and ducking away from the young celestial mage.

But before the orb could make contact with Imitatia, Arcutures appeared before the frightened woman and shielded her, taking the blow herself and absorbing as much of the magic as she could on impact.

"My Lord, come quick! I fear our young heiress has lost her mind!" His eyes widened before a thunderous frown took over his face.

"She's using magic against the Lady, my Lord." Jude jumped up and quickly rushed out of his office, "Lucy!" Jude bellowed as he fast walked towards the parlour.

Lucy's eyes widened as she stared at her hands in horror, she was distressed and her emotions were still running high.

"My Lady, please calm down, you are safe, your baby is safe." Arcutures tried to reassure the panic stricken woman but was unable to as Imitatia cradled her still flat stomach, eyes wide with shock, fear and, Arcutures was sad to notice, rage…

This would not turn out well for Lucy it seemed. Her father was heavily against the use of magic and who knows what he'd do when he gets here, Arcutures frowned at the thought.

Gently ushering the shaking lady towards Spetto, who had remained nearby, Arcutures turned back to her young student and sighed at the sight of the girl staring her hands in horror.

'… _Fuck'_

A/N: I hate putting in author's notes.

Guest: Natsu, Wendy, Gajeel, and I'm not sure because in the manga and anime it says sting and rougher killed their dragons but sting and rogue also lost their parents?

Answer: I'm not sure whether this is canon or not, however my story is AU so I can't help you there, however, yes Sting and Rogue have also lost their parents on the same day as Natsu and co. No, they did not kill their dragon parents, but until they meet again the pair will be under the impression that they did.

(Also, for you frustrated ones that just want to see some KotS Nalu scenes, keep an eye out for my series of one-shots and drabbles that I will be posting sometime soon.)

Special thanks to: _**Mavis Senpai, Safarikasolomon, IceHuntress, Flamey Owl, , awesomegirl6485, Fin-Fish Jun-Tenshi, Guest and Universal Hope. You guys are awesome!**_


	19. Part Two: Chapter Six

Keeper of the Stars

Part Two: Just Lucy

Chapter Six

Lucy had stared at her hands in horror, as the weight of the situation finally sunk in on her.

'B-Baby…? S-She's…pregnant?' Lucy started to hyperventilate, "I-I d-didn't m-mean to…I j-just wanted her to stop! S-She's not my m-mother..." Her emotions were still running high and as she realized that had Arcutures not intervened, she could have killed her father's wife, she wanted to kill her…

'I-I…I'm a monster…how could I…? I didn't know! I didn't know!' water started to gather in her eyes as she thought about what might have happened had Arcutures been a few seconds too late,

"I-I could have…killed my baby brother…or sister? I-I'm a m-mons- No! I didn't know! I didn't mean to! I didn't know!" Tears poured down her face, as Lucy started to feel shame for wanting to harm her step-mother and sibling.

"Miss Lucy, calm down please, Lady Lobster is safe, but you're about to have a panic attack" Arcutures stared worryingly down at the young girl as she had started to hyperventilate.

"LUCY HEARTFILIA! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! YOU FOOLISH LITTLE IMP OF A GIRL!" Arcutures snarled as Lucy let out a choked sob, and whirled around, placing herself between the blonde and her oncoming, furious father.

Jude's face was flushed bright red with anger, after he had come in to see his wife on the floor cradling her stomach, fine but otherwise shaken, he ordered the servants to take her to their bed chambers, in order for her to get some rest.

Turning around after watching the last of the servants leave the room, he stormed towards his daughter and her tutor.

While Jude was grudgingly thankful that the woman had interfered, he had seen the markings on her naked back, through the hole in her blazer and shirt that had been made as she had seemingly taken the brunt of Lucy's attack.

He knew those markings very well, Layla had the very same on her right hand, as Lucy does as well.

Jude narrowed his eyes in anger as the woman, no celestial spirit, took a stance between him and his daughter.

Oh how he thought he had been free from their wretched magic the day he sold those damn keys of Layla's.

In the back of his mind, he wondered how this one could have slipped past his radar, but he was certain now, Lucy had never been able to create magic like that and this woman standing between he and her was most likely the reason behind her sudden abilities.

"You!" he sneered at the red-headed woman "You are the God damned reason why this happened in the first place, Miss Arcutures," Arcutures snarled at him, red hair starting to spark with her increasing agitation.

Her Keeper was in distress and this man, this puny fucking human, was making it worse.

'Cat's out of the bag now, no point in hiding it...' she thought to herself as Jude continued to advance towards them.

"I am the reason why your wife and unborn child are perfectly safe, I am the reason why your daughter, your heiress has control over her magic!" She bared her teeth at him viciously.

"Control? CONTROL? YOU CALL THAT CONTROL?! THAT-THAT MONSTER OF A CHILD DAMN NEAR MURDERED MY WIFE AND UNBORN CHILD! YOU CALL THAT CONTROL?!" Jude was beside himself with rage, he didn't even care that Lucy had flinched and sobbed as if he had physically hit her.

"Papa! I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to, she jus-" Lucy burst into tears as she saw the fury on her father's face, and unwilling to look at him any longer, she buried her face into the bareback of her tutor and cried.

"You will not talk to her like that." Arcutures spoke so low and so coldly that would have made Jude flinch, had he not been so consumed with his anger.

"I will talk to her however I damn well please, she is my daughter, not yours." He hissed out.

"Spetto! Come here immediately!" He called for the maid. "Take Lucy to her room, and bathe her, she is to dress in her finest dresses and write an apology for her mother."

He turned to face his daughter as Spetto had grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away from Arcutures. 'How had my once beautiful child become such a…heathen?' he wondered.

"There will be absolutely no practice of magic in this house, Lucy. Do you hear me?" The young girl merely nodded her head as her crying had died down to sniffles.

Jude sneered at the sight of his daughter, looking no less than a filthy commoner. He'd had enough of letting her act out, it was time she starts acting like the appropriate heir she is.

"Miss Arcutures" He sneered down his nose at the celestial spirit. "You are fired. Get the hell off of my property and never, ever, come back."

Arcutures sneered right back at the man before she straightened herself up and walked towards Lucy who had started to protest.

"No! Father, please! Let her stay!" Jude could feel his blood start to boil as his daughter started up again and he snapped, marching towards the young girl.

 _*Smack!*_ He lowered his raised hand, just as he had finished striking his daughter so hard she would have hit the ground, had Arcutures not flashed forward and caught the girl.

"I am not you fath- _*ack!*"_ Before he could finish his sentence, Arcutures picked him up by his throat and squeezed. Hard.

"If you ever, and I mean EVER, lay a hand on her again… _I will kill you, human_." Arcutures bit out, her fingers and lengthened into claws, teeth sharpening into fangs and eyes glowed an eerie ice blue as she hissed at the blond man in her hand.

"Do I make myself clear?" Lucy was in shock, both by her father hitting her and her tutor turning into some kind of…demon? She had never seen her tutor look so ferocious.

"I said, _do I make myself clear_?" Jude could only sputter as his face started to turn purple from anger and lack of oxygen.

Struggling, he nodded at her. "Arcutures, please…put him down…" Lucy whispered her plea as Spetto was trying to pull the little girl away from the scene in front of them.

"tch." Arcutures squeezed Jude's throat tighter before she threw him unceremoniously to the ground.

"Forgive me, Miss Lucy." Arcutures sighed as she reverted back into her normal, human, form.

"I don't regret it for I will not allow any harm to come to you in my absence." Arcutures kneeled down to the girl's height and was pleased when Lucy didn't finch away from her touch.

" _Tempus venit finis noster."_ (Our time together has come to an end.) Spetto raised an eyebrow at the foreign language that flowed from the mouth of the woman before her.

" _Tu mihi relicta?"_ (You're leaving me?) Lucy felt her heart clench as she replied to her tutor.

" _Non diu custos meus iam revertar."_ (Not for long, my Keeper, I will return.) Lucy only nodded as her tutor reached out and brushed her hair out of her eyes.

" _Ego autem, ut sententiam habebis Miss Lucy"_ (But when I do, you will have a decision to make, Miss Lucy) The young girl in question opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by the sounds of her father standing up and staggering over towards them.

"GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE YOU VILE CREATURE!" Arcutures merely rolled her eyes at his words but stood up regardless and addressed the young girl before her.

" _Translata sum usque ad captum Aquarius note legit et vestrum. Ubi sis sciam Miss Lucy. Usque ad tempus illud."_ (I have translated the note Aquarius had torn out for you, read it and make your decision. I will know when you are ready, Miss Lucy. Until then.) Arcutures winked at the young girl and disappeared in a flash of golden light.

Jude growled as his accusations were proven correct upon Arcutures flashy exit.

Walking towards the sniffling child, he paused in front of her and analysed her, wondering how something so uncouth and filthy could have come from his loins.

"You are no daughter of mine." He muttered as he stared down his nose at her, uncaring of her flinch, "Layla would be ashamed." He continued before he walked out of the parlour.

Lucy, for the life of her, felt like he had just walked out of her life when in reality, he had only left the room.

"Come now, Miss Lucy. Let's get you all cleaned up." Spetto quietly ushered the girl towards her chambers, silently admonishing the blond man as they left. _'If my Lady were still here, you would be the one whom she'd be ashamed of, Lord Heartfilia.'_

Lucy let herself be led towards her room, she could feel the pieces of her heart absolutely shatter as she recalled her father's, no, Jude's, words.

"You are no daughter of mine." Cold hazel eyes stared down at her. "Layla would be ashamed."

' _I…don't know what to…do…'_ Lucy was numb as Spetto had undressed her and allowed her to soak in the bath tub.

Not wanting to be alone, Lucy sunk underneath the water, and as the golden key that hung from a leather strip around her neck like a choker, was submerged with her.

She opened her eyes and chanted in her head,

" _I summon thee!_

 _Open! Gate of the water-bearer!_

 _Aquarius!"_

Light flooded the bathroom as Aquarius was summoned "Brat!" She started but before she could finish, Lucy had leaped towards the mermaid and started bawling.

Aquarius sighed in annoyance and lowered herself into the bath as Lucy continued to cry and sputter out the events that had taken place.

Aquarius was already well aware of what had happened. She and the other celestial spirits had been watching from the celestial realm.

' _Well, that and Arcutures took on her celestial form, which hasn't happened for years._ ' She thought to herself as she squirted shampoo into her palm and massaged it into the young girl's short, choppy blonde hair.

' _What a mess.'_ She grimaced, summoning watering into her palm and swirling it around the girl's hair, taking out all of the suds without resorting to dunking the already upset child.

Soothed, Lucy felt her breathing even out and her eyes start to shut from exhaustion as Aquarius laid a glowing palm against the side of her face in which her father had struck.

' _Fucking human, I'd kill him myself if I could.'_ Aquarius thought to herself as anger seeped into her bones at seeing the bruise.

"What you did was very foolish and childish, brat." Lucy's eyes snapped open at the mermaid's words and she felt her heart stutter as tears welled up in her eyes.

' _Great, I've disappointed the woman who's almost like a second mother to me too…_ ' She couldn't help but think to herself.

"You're young. You could have killed that human and her unborn child." Aquarius murmured "However, she brought it on herself slandering Layla like she did so, and you're right, she'll never, ever, be Layla…" Aquarius grit her teeth as she recalled the woman's words.

"I'm proud of you, for standing up for yourself, brat. It's about damned time." Lucy felt her chest start to lighten as Aquarius continued talking.

"Now, stop acting like a ruffian or you'll never get a boyfriend." Aquarius sniffed as Lucy giggled.

"Aquarius..." Lucy asked tentatively. "Do…Do you think that Mama- "However, Aquarius cut her off before she could finish speaking.

"Your mother would never be ashamed of you, brat. You know that. Never mind what anyone says, especially that fool of a man your mother married. She would never be ashamed of you." Aquarius really wanted to drown the child's father as she spoke.

She had always told Layla that her husband had never been fit for worms, but Layla had seen something in him that, for the life of her, Aquarius could never figure out.

"Arcutures…she said she had to go on a mission…do you know when she'll back?" Lucy asked Aquarius instead.

"Eh, I have no clue brat, but you have other things to worry about. Now, I'm going back home." And with a flash, Aquarius went back to the celestial world.

Picking up on what Aquarius was referring to, Lucy drained the bath tub and wrapped a fluffy white towel around her body as she made her way into her room.

Spetto had laid out a pink dress, white stocking and black Maryjane shoes, for the young girl to put on but Lucy bypassed the outfit on the bed and made her way towards one of her bookcases.

Summoning celestial magic into her hand, the magic lighting up the flowery and starry markings on her hand as she did so, she pushed out a light wave of magic over the bookcase, instantly dropping its illusion of a bookcase and showing its real form.

A small wardrobe, the same size as her bookcases, took place in the spot of what was normally a bookcase.

Arcutures had cast the illusion on it herself but she had shown Lucy how to bypass it and how to replace it.

Because her father had taken her mother's keys and had banned any of her previous celestial belongings in the house, he had ordered the maids and servants to clean out Layla's wardrobes, Lucy had asked Arcutures for a place to hide them.

Opening the wardrobe, Lucy pulled out and put on a long sleeved black shirt, khaki pants that she rolled up to her mid-calf and a pair of plain black sandals.

It may not be what her father, Jude, had ordered but this was what he'd get.

As she went to close the door on her wardrobe, she noticed a backpack that hadn't been in there before, with a note attached to it.

Curious, she pulled it out and picked up the letter and read it.

 _My little star,_

Lucy's eyes widened as she took in her mother's hand writing.

 _My darling little Lucy, by now I will have joined our friends in the spirit world but do not fret, my child for I am at peace._

 _There is so much I have to tell you but so little time, I'm afraid, sweetheart._

 _If you do not have my journal on you then I trust that it is in safe hands, my sweet, fear not for inside it is some of the many things I had wanted to tell you._

 _Oh, how I'd love to watch you grow into the beautiful, powerful young woman I know you'll be but alas, it seems that is not what fate seems to have in store for us my little star._

 _I do believe that your father will re-marry upon my passing, my sweet, but do not feel hurt._

 _As much as it pains me to say this, your father and I are not what we once were._

 _Do not be angry, instead, strive to be happy for your father for I hope that he finds the love that he had once found in me._

 _Whomever his new wife shall be, while she will never be me, she is still your step-mother I trust you to be a good judge of character, my little star._

 _Respect is earned, not given, always remember that._

 _I can only hope that you are well and happy, know that the time to grieve will come to end and find your purpose in life, my darling._

Lucy sniffled at her mother's words, feeling shame course throughout her as she remembered the day's events, but as she continued reading her mother's letter, a frown settled over her face.

 _Lucy. Be wary of your father for he abhors the celestial world and its occupants. He grows angry that his wife does not bend to his will and he fears that you will follow in my footsteps._

 _I am inclined to believe that you will do so, and I pray that our friends will help you in any way that they can._

Lucy blinked back tears as she tried to process her mother's words.

 _I have asked of Arcutures Black to be allowed one Earthland year with you in order to help cultivate your magic, as I am aware of how volatile it is becoming, but again, my sweet, fear not for that means you will indeed be very strong and I know you will use your strength to do great things._

 _I have entrusted a part of my journal to Aquarius to specifically give to you when the time is right._

Lucy sweat-dropped as she remembered that Aquarius had actually given her said part of her mother's journal many months ago.

 _Arcutures will have it translated for you. It contains a map, a name and directions. When you are ready, follow it._

 _This backpack is also packed with my travelling cloak should you decide you're ready. Always keep it with you, for you will never feel the heat nor the cold when you wear it._

 _There is no rush, my little star._

 _I love you so very much._

 _Your mother,_

 _Layla Heartfilia_

Finishing the letter, Lucy felt enlightened, for she knew, then and there, that no matter what, her mother would always love her.

' _I love you too, Mama.'_ She thought before she gently folded her mother's letter and placed it into the backpack.

When Lucy opened the back pack, she found she couldn't reach the bottom of its inside.

Sticking her tongue out, she stuck her whole arm and then some inside, eyes widening in amazement as the backpack was seemingly endless.

' _Cool! I could fit so many things in there!'_ she suddenly realised what Arcutures was implying when she had left.

' _I could probably fit a house in there!_ ' Eyes widening at the thought. _'Should I stay or should I go? If I go there might be trouble?'_ She frowned as flashes of her step-mother with a big belly slipped in her mind.

' _But if I stay it might be double?'_ Lucy pondered over the thought as she sat at her desk and started on writing her apology letter to her step-mother. _'Well…I've always wanted to be a big sister…'_

 _Dear Imitatia,_

 _I am terribly sorry for my actions today. It was horribly wrong and unjust of me…_

A/N:

Special thanks to: **Flamey Owl, Alaina Kuski, Narwhals21928 and Nightscarlett. You guys are awesome! (and you all can thank Nightscarlett for the back to back update.)**

Questions: Will there be more FT characters? Nalu?

Answer: Yes, there will be more FT characters however not for a while at least. This story is a slow burn fic, and quite frankly I've been trying to churn out the last few chapters of part two so I can hurry up and get started on part three which will conclude Lucy's training and her time as a Keeper.

Yes, this story will be a NaLu fic, however it won't be centred on them as a romantic couple, again not for a long while as this story is still progressing.

I really do hate A/N's but I felt it would be rude of me to completely ignore your questions and I'm just really anti-social so I'm not a huge fan of sending pm's either haha. Believe it or not, I actually get anxiety when I see the little (1) notifications.

Anyway, I'm glad there are so many of you that like this story, seeing as I actually haven't read it myself, I will though. One day. When I don't feel embarrassed. Thank you all for your kind words, favourites and follows. Hope everyone has a fantastic October!


	20. Part Two: Chapter Seven

Keeper of the Stars

Part Two: Just Lucy

Chapter Seven

* * *

Following Lucy's outburst all those months ago, the young girl had been on her best behaviour.

She had stopped hacking at her hair, letting her maid Spetto straighten it up as much as she could, and what was once choppy was now chin length and split end free.

She had kept her hair down, of course, not bothering to tie it up. And while she still wore her usual long sleeve shirt and pants, she would occasionally wear dresses and slippers during important meetings or when they had guests over (When she couldn't get away with hiding, that is.)

Right now, she was dressed comfortably as she sat next to the crib containing her baby sister, watching over the sleeping baby vigilantly.

Her relationship with her father was still strained, both of them being too stubborn to even look at each other, but her relationship with Imitatia had definitely improved.

While Lucy had not been entirely disrespectful to the woman, she was not outright rude or hostile either.

"Mother? Would like you anything to drink?" Imitatia smiled and shook her head as Lucy shrugged and wandered back over to the occupied crib.

In fact, Imitatia found the young girl to be surprisingly considerate around her, more so than she was with her father.

The older woman thought back to her final trimester and of how all of her worries about Lucy being violent towards her baby went out the window the second she let the little girl touch her baby sister kicking.

* * *

 _Lucy gently laid her hand upon the woman's large protruding belly and gasped in awe and delight as she felt her younger sibling kick her hand through Imitatia's belly._

 _Imitatia couldn't deny how beautiful Lucy looked in that moment, brown eyes wide and alight in awe, she had to resist reaching out to touch her face and she felt herself hope that Lucy would lose the blank mask she had taken to wearing and would always show emotions like this._

" _I promise I'll protect you, little brother or sister." And at those words, Imitatia knew that her heart had melted at the promised words made between her step-daughter and her own child._

' _Oh Lucy…'_

* * *

Imitatia had accepted that she had been wrong to try to replace Layla in Lucy's life and she had since stopped trying to force a mother-daughter relationship on the girl.

Throughout her pregnancy, Lucy had been very attentive. While she had been expecting a tantrum much like the one she threw that previous year, Imitatia was pleasantly surprised by Lucy's actions.

In fact, Lucy had been more by the woman's side during her pregnancy than her husband was! And at first, Imitatia had been a bit weary of the volatile child, her unease was put to rest by Lucy's heartfelt apology and actions since then.

When Imitatia had gone into labour, Jude had been away on business and had missed the birthing of his second child, another baby girl, that Lucy affectionately named Michelle.

* * *

" _Congratulations, My Lady! It's a beautiful little girl!" Her mid-wife exclaimed as Imitatia laid back tiredly, smiling brightly as the cries of her baby girl filled the room as the mid-wife placed the newly born child into the arms of her mother._

" _My Lady, have you thought of a name?" As Imitatia took in the grey eyes, that would undoubtedly turn the same shade of green as her own, and tufts of light blonde hair, she shook her head in denial and, as she gave in to exhaustion, she felt a small hand slip inside hers and squeeze._

 _Tiredly opening her eyes, she was met with the concerned face of the young Heartfilia heiress as she felt her midwife adjust her maternity shirt so as to give access of her breast to the hungry baby._

" _Mother? Are you…okay?" Brown eyes, that were usually so dull and blank, were now showing concern._

" _I am fine, tired is all…come closer, Lucy…" Imitatia breathed in deeply and before she closed her eyes to rest she asked Lucy just one thing._

" _Would you…like to name your baby sister, dear?" Imitatia whispered lowly but Lucy heard her loud and clear._

" _I-I…sure!" Lucy's eyes lit up with excitement and Imitatia felt her heart absolutely melt as Lucy jumped up excitedly to get a look at her baby sister._

 _Bright chocolate brown eyes locked on to the dark grey eyes of the feeding baby and suddenly, it was like Lucy's world had shifted and something had clicked into place._

" _Michelle...Little sister's name is Michelle…" Lucy whispered to Imitatia as she reached out a small hand for the still feeding baby to wrap her fingers around._

" _Michelle Lobster…I like it." Lucy beamed as Imitatia placed a kiss on her cheek before Lucy was ushered out of the room by both the maid and Imitatia's midwife._

" _Come now Miss Lucy, Lady Lobster needs to rest and bond with the young miss." Lucy bit her lip as she took in the sight of her step-mother, tired and exhausted but still faintly glowing, and Lucy couldn't help but see flashes of her mother on her death bed, in the place of Imitatia, at the same time._

" _Go on, Lucy. Your father should be home soon and I would very much appreciate you being the one to tell him the great news of Michelle." Imitatia nudged the reluctant blonde encouragingly._

 _Lucy, at her step-mother's reassurance, nodded hesitantly as she squeezed the older woman's hand and leant forward to kiss her baby sister on the cheek._

" _Alright Mother, but make sure you are both well rested and I will make sure to inform father." Lucy hopped off the bed and walked out the door, looking over her shoulder as she did so._

 _Right before Spetto closed the door, Lucy caught a glimpse of her step-mother's soft smile as she gazed lovingly down at the baby in her arms and she couldn't help but feel jealousy flare within her as Imitatia looked at the baby in her arms with a look so loving, she had to bite her lip as an intense feeling of longing filled her._

' _Mama…I miss you so much…'_

* * *

As Imitatia was lost in her thoughts, she had been unaware that Lucy had also been thinking of the same day that Michelle was born, as the young blonde let her arm hang over the side of the crib, smiling amusedly to herself as the baby in the crib was entertaining herself by reaching out towards her dangling fingers.

"Lucy dear, I need to go with your father into town on business, I trust you to keep an eye on Michelle while we're gone." Imitatia had gently laid her hand on Lucy's shoulder as she informed her.

"Spetto will of course do most of the work," she continued as Lucy looked up at her questioningly "However, she might not always be available to watch over her and,"

Lucy quirked an eyebrow as her step-mother knelt down next to her, so she was somewhat at her level, and said earnestly "I don't want either of you to feel alone…I know you're upset about your tutor…leaving"

Lucy looked to the side as Imitatia spoke, though Arcutures was banned from the mansion, she had taken to only coming to see Lucy when she was out by the lake, while not often, was enough for the little girl to feel like she might get her tutor in to trouble if anyone found out.

"And I don't want either you, nor Michelle, to feel lonely while we're gone…" Imitatia squeezed her shoulder reassuringly as she said "Plus, it would be a great time for the two of you to bond."

"Seeing as she already loves you so much, I am not worried at all about leaving you in charge of her care." Imitatia smiled beautifully at the young blonde who smiled back just as brightly.

Standing up and dusting herself off, Imitatia leaned down to place a gently, loving kiss on her baby girl's forehead, grinning as the baby cooed in delight, before she affectionately ran her hand down Lucy's head and placed a kiss against her head too.

While Imitatia was not Layla, Lucy was still filled with a bit of warmth that she found had been lacking in her life for over a year, and while she was still a bit tense at the affection her step-mother sometimes doted on her, she couldn't deny how good it made her feel.

She was one part bashful and another part guilty, but the guilt was always stamped out by the words on the letter her mother left behind.

"I promise I'll take good care of her! I will make sure she is never sad either, I'll stay right by her side! Always!" Lucy said determinedly and Imitatia smiled lovingly down at the little girl, knowing in her heart that Lucy would stay true to her word.

"That's the spirit, sweetling." As Lucy opened her mouth to reply, a maid interrupted them as she told Imitatia that the Lord Lobster was waiting in the carriage for her.

"Uh, mother?" Lucy nervously said as Imitatia turned to follow after the maid "Yes, Lucy?" she inquired.

Lucy sucked in a deep breath and Imitatia was pleasantly surprised when her middle was suddenly embraced by two small skinny arms.

"Travel safe, mother…" Lucy whispered shyly and Imitatia smiled as she reached down to hug the little girl back.

"I will, darling." She patted the little girl and pulled away as she walked towards to door as she heard Lucy shuffle back over to her little sister.

Imitatia smiled and felt her heart swell with _love_ as she heard Michelle's sweet cooing fill the air and Lucy's whispered words of dragons and fairies.

' _That girl, she deserves something nice…'_ Imitatia thought to herself, silently promising to get a nice gift for her step-daughter.

* * *

As the door shut firmly behind Imitatia, Lucy paused in her story-telling, summoning two of the Corona Borealis stars in the form of earrings, as she used their powers to check her surroundings.

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion as she looked around the room, pausing briefly to snort at some ugly portrait hanging up on the wall to her left, she turned back to her baby sister.

' _I could have sworn I felt someone's magical energy just now…'_ shrugging as the only life force, that contained a magical aura, seemed to be hers, she continued to tell the stories her mama had once told her, to the cute little baby in front of her.

Had Lucy bothered to look up, she would have caught a glimpse of a pair of eyes suddenly dart in her direction as they peered down at her from the eyes of the very portrait she snorted at.

 _'Soon...'_ The eyes of the portrait seemed to darken as they watched the child and the baby.

Unaware of the sinister gaze, Lucy continued to entertain her baby sister obliviously, "And then one day, the fair maiden wizard had found that throughout all her years fighting against the fearsome dragon, she had fallen in love with him..."

* * *

C.C.

 **A/N: Special Thanks to these amazing people: Flamey Owl, panda123love, LunarWolfDragon, Mavis Senpai and Guest reviewer for pointing out my little HP reference haha, You're all amazing guys. Shout out to all the favourites and follows, I'm quite humbled that so many of you are enjoying this fic.**

Timeline catch up:

Layla's death July 7th x777

Jude marries Imitatia November 4th x777 (Imitatia falls pregnant on the night of their wedding)

Lucy turns 8 years old on July 1st x778

Michelle is born in August 10th x778


	21. Part Two: Chapter Eight

Keeper of the Stars

Part Two: Just Lucy

Chapter Eight

* * *

Her father and step-mother had been gone away on business for the past three-days and Lucy had noticed something weird about the painting that was placed in her baby sister's nursery.

As she cradled her baby sister in her arms, Lucy narrowed her eyes as she felt someone's gaze pierce her back.

The first day she felt it was the day of her parents' departure and she had continued to feel it every day, the past couple days, whenever she was in the room with Michelle.

Thinking quietly to herself, as she made her way towards the nursery room, she summoned the Corona Borealis- Second Star, and as the earring appeared on her ears in the form of little shining stars, she had finally made it to her sister's room.

"Miss Lucy, I've finished with the young Miss for the day. Please don't hesitate to call for me should you, or she, require anything." Spetto informed the child before she hurried out.

Lucy nodded and, true to form, a figure appeared behind the portrait that was hanging up, just as Spetto closed the door behind her.

At first, Lucy thought Imitatia had asked hired someone to keep an eye on her around Michelle, however, when she would leave Spetto to look over the baby, the figure would disappear from behind the portrait and appear behind another, following her from room to room.

"Hey Misha," The baby girl cooed in reply "Why don't we go outside today for some play time?"

Lucy reached into the cot to pick up the baby, keeping an eye on the illuminated figure hidden in the wall, as she cradled the baby close to her.

Michelle sighed in content as she felt the warmth that always seemed too emanate from the blonde child holding her.

"But first, Misha, let's go to the kitchens to get some snack food, eh?" The little blonde girl nuzzled her nose against the baby's temple, breathing in the scent of the child in her arms and feeling her resolve harden as she did so.

Michelle cooed in delight at her sister's affection as Lucy headed out of the room.

* * *

The figure hidden in the painting watched the child leave the room before replacing the eyes of the portrait and making haste towards the hallway so they could follow the pair, however, when the figure managed to get behind one of the many portraits in the hallway, they had found that the hallway was empty.

Hurrying towards the kitchen area, the figure failed to notice that they were being followed.

Upon getting to the kitchen and finding the place deserted of the cooks, the figure narrowed their eyes.

But as they were surveying the kitchen, the figure failed to notice the small child pressed up tightly against the wall as she pressed a hand to the frame and charged it with her magic.

 _*BANG*_

Startled, the figure swore as they were stung by the force of the explosion and their eyes burned from the bright light of the magic.

Falling out of the hole in the wall, the figure knelt down on the ground and rubbed at their eyes so as to get rid of the spots they were seeing.

"Who are you and why are you spying on my family?" The figure froze as a voice as cold as ice whispered menacingly from behind him.

The sharpness of the voice only being emphasised by the feeling of something sharp poking into the left side of their back

Turning their head slightly, the figure came face to face with the current heiress of the Heartfilia Konzern.

The young blonde girl had charged one of the small ornamental swords, that had decorated the hallway, with her magic and pressed into the spy's back.

Brown eyes dull and hard, cold and unfeeling, stared at the figure impassively as she pressed the charged up sword even harder into the figures back when she got no reply.

"I asked you something…" The figure locked eyes with the child and saw that she would be a challenge to deal with.

Hoping to get the weapon away from the girl, in case she hurt someone trying to use it, the figure smiled an obvious fake smile at the girl.

"My Lady, I'm sure there's no need for such drastic measures, please. Lower your weapon." The young girl, Lucy, pressed the tip of her sword harder into the figure kneeling before her.

"You call me your Lady yet I have not seen your face. Remove your mask. Now." The figure sweat-dropped at the cold order from a child who, according to his reports, was meant to be meek and bubbly.

' _That fool Tullius…His reports were wrong!'_ The figure mentally cursed out the man as he slowly reached a hand up towards his head _'Surely she's bluffing…'_

With that thought in mind, the figure jumped up and attempted to get away from the child with the dangerous weapon but before he could get away from her, he felt a light pressure hit his back before he could get away.

' _W-What…?'_ Turning back, as if in slow motion, the last thing he saw before he felt the intense pressure on his back explode, was the cold brown eyes of the young heiress as she stalked towards him

' _B-But…how?'_ The force from the explosion had sent the man flying through the kitchen doors and out on to the back patio.

As Lucy stalked towards him, she ripped off his mask and got a good look at his face.

Light brown hair hung over down to his shoulders and he had grey eyes that were wide open with fright, she sneered at the look on the man's face as she raised her sword towards him threateningly.

"Last chance, worm. Who. Are. You." The young man, writhed in pain from the burns on his back as he tried to shuffle away from the young girl.

"P-Please…Spare me, PLEASE! I WAS ONLY FOLLOWING ORDERS!" He threw himself at the young girl's feet and wept, begging for his life.

"Who gave you those orders?" The man before her sniffled before her as he clumsily told her everything.

"H-His name was…is…Marcus. Marcus Tullius." Lucy raised a brow at the young man's words.

' _Tullius, huh? Hmph.'_ She had always thought there was something shady about that man.

"Why?" She questioned. "B-Because he pro-promised me so-some of the riches! Please! I have a family!" The man before her sobbed.

"For what purpose? Quit your snivelling." She rolled her eyes exasperatedly as the young man continued to sob at her feet.

"We-We were meant to…k-kidnap either you or the young miss before his lordship returns…I was given the job to…spy…learn your routine so we could…get you at an open opportunity…" He shamefully bowed his head under the heavy weight of the child's glare.

"Why did you agree?" Lucy questioned. She thought over his words and understood why Tullius would do that.

The man before her stuttered as he spoke "I-I um…My wife and I, we're poor, my father sold our family farm to your father to make way for more railway tracks…my father left us behind with nothing but a measly shack. My wife was once employed by the late Lady Heartfilia but, for some reason, upon her passing your father dismissed her with no explanation." He said bitterly.

' _I am a fool.'_ he thought bitterly to himself. _'Their father is the reason why…that damned Jude…'_

Lucy felt her heart twinge as the man spoke, she could clearly hear the disdain in his voice. _'Stop it, he was going to take Misha…'_ she gripped the hilt of the short sword tighter.

"Oh…so you were going to hold either myself or my sister ransom for money?" She asked.

"Yeah…I didn't want to but Tullius made a good point…My wife and I are starving, we have an eight-year-old little boy and my wife has just had our second son…I had no other option" He bowed his head, ashamed. He had told his wife he would return with enough money to get them back on their feet.

' _But now? She will get a husband locked up behind bars and who knows what will become of my children…'_ The man thought to himself in despair. He really felt like crying at that moment and so he hunched over to bury his head in his hands.

' _I should never have trusted Tullius…'_ He thought to himself bitterly. His wife had warned him many times that the old fool was as cunning as he was a liar.

Lucy felt a bit of regret seep through her as the man winced when he stretched his back.

"Look, I'm sorry about trying to kill you, but I was afraid that you were going to harm my sister. I couldn't allow that to happen."The man before her flinched at her words.

"Tullius said it would be an easy job, that no one in this place used magic but…you spotted me on the first day, didn't you?" He said wryly.

"Yeah." Lucy confirmed as she studied the minor burns on the man's back.

There was a reason why the stake out had lasted as long as three days, "I didn't want to." He rubbed his arm as he looked to the side, avoiding the young girls gaze.

"I didn't want to kidnap either of you…not once I saw the way you interacted with the baby…I…My wife and I, we have a son. He's eight years old…and my wife, she's still recovering from the birth of our second child…we really are desperate for money."

"My sons, they're the same ages as you both and your sister." He told the young girl, though he was unsure why he was confiding in such a young person.

Lucy frowned and, though she kept a tight grip on the hilt of her blade, she ushered the older man onto one of the kitchen stools, ignoring the young man's feeble protests.

"Please, no…" He weakly tried to push her away but the pain was something new to him and all he could do was grimace in pain.

Lucy grimly frowned at the damage done to his back and while it wasn't deadly, it still wasn't anything to smile at either.

"I did this to you and I can fix it. Hold still." And at that, he silently did as she said.

"What's your name?" She asked him as she forced magic into her hand, less malevolent than the type she used to stop him.

"Grimm. Basil Grimm." Lucy hummed in reply as she poured her magic over the wounds that she had caused the man.

"Chef!" Her sudden shout made the man, Basil, jump in his seat as a tall, grumpy man walked into the kitchen.

"Well I can see you haven't fucking killed anyone, brat. Good. I don't like blood. It's a fucking headache to clean." Basil felt his eyebrows raise almost to the top of his forehead at the man's cursing and felt himself wanting to reprimand the fellow speaking like that in front of a little girl.

However, the receding pain in his back reminded him that, little or not, the girl packed a mean punch.

"I'd like you to create as much food as you can while I take Mr. Grimm here on a tour around the mansion. Misha is safe. We'll be back in an hour." The chef raised a brow and scoffed at the young girl but followed her orders anyway.

"Mr. Grimm, if you'd be so kind as to follow me." Flabbergasted, all Basil could do was stare after the little girl as she made her way towards to doorway.

"Well?" She said through gritted teeth as she paused and looked back at him.

"Are you coming or not?" Basil stood up and scrambled after the young girl, feeling awe fill him as there was no longer any tightness pulling at his back.

' _S-She…healed me?'_ He thought to himself, hesitantly reaching a hand up to feel at his back. Laughing breathlessly as he felt nothing but smooth skin, he even felt the ache in his back from a fall he had taken some years ago, disappear.

"She would have killed you, you know." Startled, Basil turned around to face the chef.

"Pardon?" The chef shrugged nonchalantly in reply.

"She would have killed you, and had she not, I would have." The chef aggressively cut up the vegetables as he spoke.

"But she didn't. You have an hour before you can fuck off, I suggest you get a move on." Basil gulped and he didn't doubt for a second that the chef in front of him would have no trouble in cutting him up.

"R-Right." The mousy young man nodded before he sprinted through the door and after the young heiress.

"Fucking twit." The chef muttered under his voice as he continued to cut up and prepare food that could feed an army.

"Our heiress may be cold, but she still has that heart of gold inherited from her mother…suppose that's a good thing." He mused to himself as fellow cooks entered the kitchen to help him cook and servants entered to fix and replace the painting on the wall.

"Oi! You lot! Get over here!" "YES, CHEF!"

* * *

C.C.

A/N: Sooo it wasn't Tullius himself but someone he hired. Cookies to whoever can guess who Basil Grimm is without resorting to Google. Also, can anyone guess who the chef is? Shouldn't be too hard haha

 **Special Thanks: Flamey Owl, Misty Raymond, artistofthemind and of course the lovely Ice Huntress.**

 **Thank you guys for your kind words! I'm usually never happy with what I write but seeing everyone's enthusiasm and really nice words makes me think you're all lying to make me feel better :P jk.**

 **Thank you also to the people who have favourite and followed this story! I've passed 100 followers! Yay.**

 **Um, this might be a bit weird and idk if I'm technically allowed to add this in but whatever. I love reading fanfics just as much as I love writing them. If any of you have any suggestions on good Lucy fics then could you lot please drop their titles in a review or pm? Would love to find and read more.**


	22. Part Two: Final Chapter

Keeper of the Stars

Part Two: Just Lucy

Final Chapter

The pair walked down the hallway in silence.

"So…" Basil awkwardly tried to initiate conversation but a sharp look from the young blonde in front of him had him stuttering.

"Look. Why don't you tell me everything from the start?" Lucy grumbled.

"Sure. Um. Well, Tullius informed me that your father was planning on…well, let's say "take you out of the picture" so to speak." He started off with to which Lucy hummed.

"The plan was for you to be taken away and for your inheritance to be given to Michelle Lobster…However, Tullius used Jude's intentions for his own purposes." The brown haired man frowned in thought.

"Though, if you don't mind me asking, why would he want that? Clearly you hold no ill will to either your sister or step-mother?" He side-glanced at the young blonde, trying to get a read on her expression, however the only thing that stood out was the slight furrow in her brow.

"So, my father is after my mother's inheritance. He'll never get it. I thought he would try to marry me off once I was of age but it seems that's too far away for the old fool." Lucy mumbled under her breath as she took a sharp turn.

"Come on. Let's hurry." Startled by the hand that slipped into his, Basil couldn't even get a word out before he was being dragged through the Heartfilia Mansion by the hand of the very Heiress herself.

' _Oh bollocks, what have I gotten myself into now…'_ He thought exasperatedly as the young girl didn't relent in her sprint.

Huffing and puffing, the man was barely aware when they had stopped in front of two large double white oak doors, before the young girl kicked the doors open, swung the man into the room and slammed the doors shut behind her all in one swift motion.

"W-What?" Basil was bent over at the knees, gasping for breath and silently wondered how the young girl wasn't tired out before he realized that, even if she had not thrown whatever explosive she did at him, she would have had no trouble catching up with him in a chase.

Ignoring him, Lucy walked over to one of the large painting on the wall and began tapping on the bottom edges of it.

"Miss? What are you doing?" Basil could only question her, yet he still got no reply.

When Lucy swung the painting to the side, Basil's eyes widened at the sight of a large safe that was hidden behind it.

"This is my father's personal safe." She stated as she quickly opened it.

Basil was surprised that the young girl would show it to him, she knew he already knew his way around through the walls of her house, so why would she let him see where her father kept things of obvious importance.

"I-I don't understand." Basil tried to speak but Lucy cut him off with a sharp glare over her shoulder as she told him to sit down and be quiet.

Mumbling to herself, Lucy hastily went through a number of papers before she finally settled on a scroll closed shut with only a red ribbon, that had a key on it, keeping it shut.

Pulling it out, she placed it on her father's desk before she wondered over to the safe again and pulled out a small box that had the initials L.H. on it before she slammed the safe shut and locked it.

Closing the painting over the safe, she turned towards the young man and looked at him with hard eyes.

"Listen here, Basil Grimm." The man gulped at the young girl as she stared at him with her eyes that were too old.

"Here's the deal. You have successfully kidnapped me." She narrowed her eyes at the man in front of her as she took a step closer to him, both objects cradled in her hands.

"But instead of returning to Tullius, I escaped your clutches and have since gone into hiding." Basil nodded at her words, feeling fear shoot up and down his spine with each and every step that she took towards him.

"Are you with me so far? Good. Now, there are a few bumps we need to smooth out, so listen carefully. Here are a couple of things I will give to you," she thrust the dusty scroll under the man's nose.

"This is the deed to a small house located on Galuna Island. My father has never been to this place and he has never bothered to open this scroll to find out what it is. It's yours now." Lucy said calmly as Basil sputtered, unwilling to think that what she was saying was true.

"And this," she handed the small box over to him "This is a key to a small strong box, located in one of the Hargeon Port banks, in which you should go to and see as soon as you leave here."

Basil Grimm was rendered speechless. He could hardly believe that this young girl would willingly do such a thing for a man who had confessed to intending on kidnapping her or her younger sister for his own selfish purposes.

"…I cannot accept this…you're only a child…regardless of whether or not I take them, your father would be able to track me down…" He huffed out, as much as he wanted to accept her gracious gift, he knew that he couldn't.

And he was bitter about it.

"You're wrong. Don't worry about Jude. These are my own personal possessions and I'm giving them to you. I've used my magic as confirmation. Should the authority question it's eligibility they should be able to hear my consent given to you the second I said it was yours." Lucy said calmly as she, once again, forced the two items into the man's shaking hands, before she pulled him by the forearm and led him out the doors again.

Basil could only follow after the young girl in stunned silence. _'B-But…why would she...? I don't understand…'_

"You will follow my instructions to the T." Lucy murmured to the man as she walked faster towards the kitchen.

The man could do nothing but nod his head numbly as he was practically dragged behind the young girl as she proceeded to whisper to him what she had in mind.

"Oi! Shithead! I've got your fucking food packed in one of those thing-a-ma-jigs." The gruff chef's cussing seemingly snapped the young man out of his stupor.

"O-Oh, um. Thanks?" He said as he cautiously headed towards the blonde chef and hastily took the offered bag, nearly collapsing under its weight as he did so.

Lucy watched the man as she idly twirled the short sword around in her hands.

"Take everything and go. Remember what I told you, Basil Grimm." The young man looked at the child and felt an immense amount of gratitude fill him.

' _I was a fool to ever think of bringing harm to this beautiful girl…'_ he thought to himself.

"Miss Heartfilia? I have to ask...why are you doing this for me?" He looked at her through his bangs, as if not wanting a direct sight into the eyes he felt could see into his very soul.

Lucy's earrings glowed bright and Basil felt his breath catch as her brown eyes turned a warm golden before fading back to her normal chestnut brown colouring.

Lucy shrugged at his question and murmured a simple "Because of your aura."

She nodded in thanks to the chef before she ushered Basil out the door and over the lawn of the large back yard.

The two walked in silence with Basil staring openly at the young girl as she twirled the sword around in practiced movement.

Suddenly, at the far side of the lake that exceeded Heartfilia Konzern property, Lucy stopped though she motioned for Basil to keep walking.

"Go on home to your wife and sons. Tell them you have been rewarded for completing a mission or something, I don't know. But never, ever, come back here. Do I make myself clear?" She eyed the man coldly and for a second, he felt doubt flash through him.

"My sister is the most important person in the world and I would do anything," her gaze turned particularly sharp as she emphasized " _anything,_ to protect and ensure her happiness."

At her declarations, Basil had no doubt about that.

"I'm glad to hear that, I can only hope that my sons love each other the way you clearly love your sister…I admire your willingness to protect her." Basil bowed his head towards the impassive young girl before him before he turned and started to walk away.

"Wait!" Freezing at her words, he turned back to face her, only to see the sword that she had carried with her come flying towards him.

"Gah!" He shrieked in fright but then flushed in embarrassment as the sword fell short and imbedded itself in the ground a metre away from him.

Lucy raised a brow at him as he sheepishly raised his arm and rubbed at the back of his neck.

"It's an ornamental sword. I'm sure the jewels in it alone are worth a lot and the blade is deadly sharp. Take it. You need it more than I do." Basil eyed the weapon and felt tears gather in his eyes at the graciousness of the young lady before him.

"T-Thank you…You don't know how much this means to me…Thank you so much…" He looked at her gratefully.

"Don't thank me yet. Follow my instructions and then talk to me about being thankful." Basil gulped at her words.

"Be seeing you, Basil." Were her parting words before she disappeared in a flash, leaving the lone young man alone.

"Spetto, Gordon requires your assistance in the kitchen." Lucy said to her maid as the short plumped woman had just finished cleaning up the baby.

"Of course, Miss Lucy." Spetto inclined her head at the little girl before she left the room, leaving the two sisters alone together.

"Hi Misha…" Lucy whispered to her baby sister as the little girl cooed adorably and started to kick her legs in the air at the sight of her big sister.

"Big sister loves you. I hope you know that." Lucy spoke as she picked up the baby.

"Why don't we spend the day together, hmm Misha?" The blonde gently nuzzled her nose against the baby's temple as she walked out of the room, breathing in the scent that was pure baby.

"How about outside, by the lake? My Mama always took me there," Lucy murmured quietly to the attentive baby.

The pair walked toward the lake as Lucy spoke quietly of the brown-eyed, blonde haired woman who had birthed and raised her for the first seven years of her life.

 **3 Hours Later**

Lucy rubbed soothing circles on the back of her baby sister, as she breathed in the scent of "baby" that was her sister, mingling with the soft smell of roses, mentally doing her best to imprint the unique scent into her subconscious.

"You are what's most important to me," Lucy murmured, knowing that her little sister wouldn't understand but feeling the need to say so anyway.

"Big Sis has got to go now, Misha." Lucy sniffled as tears filled her eyes.

"Papa, he doesn't l-love m-me an-anymore. A-And he ha-has sent some ve-very bad men after m-me." Lucy struggled to hold back tears as she tightened her hold on her baby sister, the scent and sound of the baby soothing her aching chest.

"B-But, I w-will always l-love you, Misha, e-even if P-Papa…" She trailed off as she sobbed the sounds of baby Michelle's cries joining hers.

"I-I w-will be back. I promise, Misha." Lucy pressed wet kisses against her sister's forehead as she rocked the baby back and forth to try and settle her.

As Lucy stared down at her baby sister through watery eyes, she barely registered the door opening and closing as Spetto made her way back into the room.

Spetto stood quietly to the side and absorbed the sad sight in front of her.

Lucy's brown eyes had locked onto Michelle's green and the two of them stared at each other, one knowing that she may never see her sister again and the other, sad because the pair of eyes above them were sad.

"I love you Michelle." Lucy said and as she rocked her baby sister to sleep for what was seemingly the last time, she felt the pieces of her broken heart shatter even more.

"Spetto." She spoke calmly and clearly.

"I have everything you requested ready for you, Miss Lucy." Spetto bowed her head as she spoke though she bit her lip as though to keep her protests to herself.

"Good. I want you to stay with Michelle always, Spetto." Lucy said and as she lowered her sister into the cot, she did her utmost best to burn the image into her mind.

"Yes, Miss Lucy." Spetto was sad as she watched the two young mistresses.

The Chef, Gordon, had told Spetto of Lucy's plan to leave the mansion under the guise of a kidnapping.

He had encouraged Spetto to get Lucy's belongings ready while the two girls were outside enjoying the sunshine and Spetto couldn't help but feel angered at the girls' father.

"Miss Lucy. It's almost dark out." Lucy hummed in agreement, and as she kissed her sister one last time, she summoned the first star of the Corona Borealis in the form of a necklace and placed it around her sister's neck.

Already she felt a slight pull on her magic but Lucy just ignored it in favour of looking at her sister for a little while longer.

"She's beautiful." Lucy felt Arcutures' present the moment she stepped foot into the world.

"And she's quite lucky to have you as a sister, Miss Lucy." The appearance of the red-headed woman didn't change much. She still had her hair tied back immaculately and her ever present glasses were perched on her nose.

"Hn." Lucy hummed in agreement although she felt that she was the lucky one to have Michelle.

"Spetto? Arcutures? If you don't mind, I'd like a moment alone with my baby sister." Arcutures had gestured for Spetto to follow her out of the room, leaving the two sisters alone.

"Misha," Lucy cooed at her baby sister as she cradled her close "Big Sis will be leaving soon, but I'll always watch over you, ne? I'll make sure you never forget me." Michelle's big murky green eyes stared back up at Lucy adoringly.

As Michelle let out a big yawn, Lucy smiled as she felt tears start to gather in her eyes.

" _You are my sunshine,_

 _My only sunshine_

 _You make me happy,_

 _When skies are grey"_

Lucy swayed Michelle gently as she sang, feeling her chest start to constrict as Michelle never once looked away from her sister's face, even as the baby slowly dozed.

" _You'll never know dear,_

 _How much I love you_

 _Please don't take_

 _My sunshine_

 _Away"_

Lucy sang the same verse over a few times before Michelle finally succumbed to sleep.

Lucy brushed a hand over the soft curls of her baby sister's light hair, knowing in time it would darken, and before she could let the guilt of leaving her sister behind set in, Lucy spun around and left the room, knowing Spetto and Arcutures would be waiting on the other side.

"Miss Lucy?" Arcutures arched an eyebrow in question, knowing that Lucy had summoned one of the Corona Borealis stars but not seeing it on her person.

"…She needs it more than I do." The young blonde muttered as Spetto wrapped her mother's old cloak around her.

"Young Miss, we have gathered everything of Lady Layla's into this backpack." Spetto blinked back tears as she shakily handed the backpack to her.

"Thank you Spetto. For everything. Now please, go and watch over Michelle. Things are about to get crazy." The blonde turned to the red-headed celestial spirit and together they walked through the large halls of the Heartfilia Mansion.

"Oi! That shithead from earlier is here now, kid. Best get into bed, eh?" Gordon, the Chef, stood before the two females with his arms crossed and a bag at his feet.

"The Kitchen decided to make some of your favourite treats for ya, kid. Here y'go. There's a pocket dimension inside the bag too, bit like that starry backpack you've got on, so it'll take a while before y'run out, eh so don't eat 'em all at once." He winked at her as he tossed the small bag towards the young girl.

"We're gonna miss seeing you around, kid. Take good care of her, Red. She's a good kid." Gordon smiled at the two as he gestured towards her room door.

"Don't be a stranger now, kiddo. Who knows, eh? Maybe we'll cross paths again someday." Lucy bit her lip and fast as lightening, she ran towards the man who was more like an uncle to her, and gave him a hug.

"Thank you so much, Chef Ramsey." Gordon chuckled.

"It's Gordon, kiddo, but call me what you like. Now, get a move on. Don't want the rest of the staff to see you hanging around in hallways dressed as you are. Be safe, kid." Lucy tightened her hold on the man as he ruffled her hair before he gently pushed her away and turned on his heel, making his way back towards the kitchen.

Lucy and Arcutures watched him leave before they both entered Lucy's bedroom.

"Are you ready, Miss Lucy?" Arcutures asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Lucy took one last look around her room and as Arcutures disappeared back into the celestial world, Lucy felt arms grab her from behind as a loud BOOM resounded throughout her room.

' _Goodbye…'_ She thought, images of her step-mother and her baby sister flashing through her mind as she was swept away into the night by the arms of her captor.

As though feeling the departure of her sister, Michelle's eyes snapped open and she let out a loud wail, accentuated by the following loud noise of a small explosion coming from the direction of her sister's room.

"Hush young miss, you mustn't cry." Spetto picked up the child as she tried to soothe the wailing baby.

But Michelle continued to cry and cry for days to come.

When Jude and Imitatia returned, Michelle was still distraught, though she wasn't crying any longer, she wasn't laughing or cooing either.

Imitatia knew it had everything to do with the sudden disappearance of the daughter she had never given birth to.

' _Please be safe…Lucy.'_

A/N: I'm so sorry for the massive delay, I was feeling a bit down and frustrated about not knowing how to end the first part of this fic, and it might be a while before I can write up the first chapter of the second part seeing as I'm going to be very busy with the last week of my studies and preparation for my military application.

Thank you everyone for your wonderful support, kind reviews and enthusiasm when reading my story. From here on out, I will answer all questions via pm but ask at your own risk, I don't want to risk spoiling the outcome of this fic.

 **Shout out to LunarWolfDragon for getting Basil's character right :) My favourite book of the Sister's Grimm series would have to be Book 2: Unusual Suspects. If you guys haven't checked out the Sister's Grimm series, I highly recommend it! I'm twenty and I still read the books lol and I started when I was a good twelve years old.**

 **Basil Grimm is a character from the book series Sister's Grimm I had read as a child, and because I couldn't actually think of someone that would be forced into a situation where he had to resort to kidnapping an heiress as a source of income, I thought, why not this character.**

 **The Chef, as you can see, is Gordon Ramsey haha. Because why not?**


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